Bound Paths: Remastered
by Xylenia948
Summary: Four girls from various backgrounds take the Hunters Exam. Will they make it? What will they do afterwards? No matter what they do, where they go, how they act, and what they tell themselves, all four will find themselves meeting again and again. Their paths are simply bound. Rated T for minor coarse language, some violence, and moments that may or may not be disturbing.
1. Cities x to x Villages

The man's eyes narrowed at the towheaded child, his eyes screaming of suspicion and racism.

Quino had to resist a sigh.

"Please, sir, can I go on? I can sneak into the storage," she said, acting the part of the homeless orphan kid.

"Why would someone like you need to go on this ship?" The man wasn't budging, judging by the way his eyes only hardened as she begged.

Yes, Quino would honestly ask the same thing if she was in his shoes. She had patches of soot on her white tank top and camo cargo shorts, with a little bit covering her face and hair. The edge of her tank top was tattered, but still long on her small body. Her tennis shoes were covered in soot or dirt, maybe even a bit of both. Yeah, she could understand what the man in front of her was insinuating.

His eyes, however, didn't seem to acknowledge her condition but rather...

"Sir, I know I look a bit strange with my white hair and dark skin, but I'm not a terrorist," Quino said, trying her best to appease the man.

She had almost forgotten how Riddleve was about their terrorism. Her adoptive mother had once told her that there were some cities that feared light-haired, dark-skinned people because of the coincidental reports that most terrorism was made by them. Which wasn't true, at least Quino had come to that conclusion. Either way, she happened to fit into that category and Riddleve City happened to be one of those cities that were _very_ strict on terrorism. She was surprised she hadn't been arrested yet.

"You may not go on," the man said with grave finality.

Quino opened her mouth to push a bit more, taking another shot at convincing the man to let her get on the ship, but she was stopped by a thin, almost gaunt, white-haired man who was definitely on the tall side. Though his head was covered by a hat that looked very similar to a beret, she could see his dark eyes. Despite his slender physique, Quino was intimidated by him.

"Where is this ship going?"

The man managing the ship's dock simply stared.

Quino glanced to the white-haired man, then settled her eyes back to the man in front of them.

"Whale Island," the man said after a few more awkward seconds.

"That place, huh?" the white-haired man muttered, though Quino had picked up on it. "I'll pay."

"Huh?"

Quino swiftly locked her small burgundy eyes on the pale man by her side. He held out a card with two H's on it.

Wait, isn't that..?

"Oh, would you like first class?"

"It's not for me," the white-haired man stated. His hazel eyes looked down at Quino.

"Me?" Quino asked, pointing to herself.

"Who else would I be talking about?"

"I— Are you sure?" She was so surprised that she wanted to nod her head, but she felt too guilty to be too excited about this opportunity. There were other ships she could hitch a ride on.

"First class," the white-haired man told the man who had been staring at the two with wide eyes.

"Y-Yes, sir," the man said with a smile so fake that Quino had to fight the urge to hide her disgust.

Quino watched as the man made the necessary transactions, watched as he gave the white-haired man his card back, and watched as the said man disappeared without a trace.

"Well, aren't you getting on?" the man managing the ship's dock said, his words dripping with annoyance.

She paid him no mind as she passed the man with a grimace on his face and got onto the ship.

Of course, she felt very out of place when she had managed to finally get to her room after many dirty looks and misdirections. Her unruly appearance was a bit much for any of the rich people in the first class section. Yes, she was very happy she had finally managed to get to her room.

"I'm glad I don't have to deal with all those snobby rich people anymore," Quino muttered to herself as she looked around her surroundings, taking in the sights her room had to offer.

It was ornate and pristine, just like Quino would have predicted from a first class room. But there was a big problem.

"Sheesh, it's so neat and pretty in here. I don't want to cover everything with dirt and soot," Quino said with a sigh. She pulled her shirt away from her, inspecting the dirty tank top that looked more gray than white now. It never really bothered her, being covered in soot and grime. She was a blacksmith's apprentice, after all. But now that she was staying in the first class area, it made her feel a bit ashamed.

Quino opened one of the two doors that were connected to her room.

"This is a big bathroom." Her eyes took in the sight of the ornate bathtub that was pristine white decorated with gold and the counters that looked way more expensive than counters should ever be. The sink, toilet, and shower were just as ornate as the bathtub, all three of them white and gold like the bathtub.

She walked in, closing the door slowly.

"I guess I should try my best to get all this dirt off," Quino said as she prepared the bathtub.

She was definitely going to enjoy herself.

XXX

Quino woke up the next day feeling the most refreshed than she had ever felt in a while.

Now that she had a good night's rest, there was one thing that was plaguing her mind.

Her eyes landed on the window beside her queen bed, where the endless sea and just as big sky greeted her. They wouldn't get to Whale Island until tomorrow.

With a heavy sigh, Quino's train of thought went back to the one thing that had stuck out to her during the entire day yesterday.

Quino wasn't dumb. She knew what that card from that tall man had been. It was one of the few things she had been interested in.

When she was younger, Quino had dreamed about being a Hunter and the many things she would do as a Hunter. As she grew older, though, she had become more focused on keeping Barb's Irons afloat and taking care of the house. Her adoptive mother, while kind and loving, wasn't interested in working. Quino wasn't sure how the shop had prospered, or how the house had been decently organized and clean throughout the years.

"That guy was a Hunter," she muttered as her eyes drifted away from the window and toward the ceiling. Even the ceiling was fancy, though it looked like it was going to be needing to be replaced soon. There was paint in a few places that was peeling off. Could a simple touch up do the job?

Quino heaved a sigh, willing her body to get up from the soft bed. Her feet dangled off the side of the bed, but she made no heed to that fact.

How did someone like that manage to become a Hunter? He hardly had any muscle!

She took in her surroundings again, finding the whole room surreal.

It's like I'm in a dream, Quino thought.

Her burgundy eyes landed a pink box with a fancy red bow tying it. She slid off the bed and approached the box, noticing the card that was attached to the bow.

_'In case you wanted to at least fit the part, here are some clothes for you.'_

Quino frowned. "In case I wanted to fit the part?" She didn't see anything to indicate who had sent her this gift. "Suspicious."

She untied the bow and opened the box. In it was a dark red dress. The dress was elegant, expensive, and formal. In other words, it looked absolutely revolting to Quino.

"W-What?! Who thinks I'll actually wear this?" Quino said with a blush. Merely looking at the dress was embarrassing her.

But she was curious to see if it would look good on her.

Who knows, maybe it might be a good tool to get all the rich people off my back, Quino thought as she grabbed the dress and the flat black Mary Janes that came with it.

She made her way into the walk-in closet that was empty, save for her dirty clothes that she had left lying in a corner of the room.

Letting her curiosity take over, Quino changed into the dress and Mary Janes.

Usually dresses wouldn't look too flattering on her because of the muscles she had gained throughout the years of blacksmithing. But the fact that the dress, this ball gown, was sleeveless and even seemed to accentuate her muscular figure made her reconsider dresses. The dark red seemed to compliment her burgundy eyes and it fortunately didn't clash with her white hair. And while it did flare out at her waist, it wasn't as much as a ball gown usually would. Yes, it was a formal ball gown, but it was simple and it wasn't flashy. The down side was the fact that it ended at her ankle, and she didn't like the velvety feel to it or the restriction on her movement, but Quino figured it was a good equivalent exchange.

Much to her surprise, Quino approved.

"Okay, I don't look _too_ bad. I can pull this off. Nobody would know I was the poor, dirty little girl they were antagonizing all day yesterday, right?"

But then Quino glanced at her white, curly hair and grimaced.

She always hated her hair. Sure, it didn't frizz up but the top of her head was a constant mess of curls that looked more like an endless sea of white swirls.

"I could straighten it," Quino muttered, running her hand through her white swirly curls.

She shrugged. "Forget it, that's too much work. If people have a problem with me, then I'll just have to deal with it. There's not a single person in this world that's liked by everybody."

With determination, Quino set off to have breakfast at the dining hall.

"Hey, look at that little girl."

"Oh, her? Isn't she that dirty urchin that somehow snuck up here yesterday?"

"She thinks she's one of us just because she's wearing a dress?"

"Hmm, wow, she must think we're stupid not to notice."

Quino was at her wits end with all these comments. And she wasn't even at the dining hall yet!

She heard someone snicker. Saw another sneer. Then heard another jab. Her entire walk to the dining hall consisted of several comments that sounded more like thinly veiled insults, various sounds that spoke of their disapproval, and expressions of disgust or abhorrence that Quino tried her best to ignore.

When she finally did make it to the dining hall, she wanted to go back and insult every single person she had passed on her way to breakfast. But she contained her anger and went toward the buffet.

Her eyes feasted on so many wonderful dishes that her anger practically melted away. She would've jumped for joy if she was expressive.

"Um, excuse me, miss," a voice called from her left.

Quino looked over to see an old woman who had a lovely smile. For being fake, that is. She felt like the old lady was about to say something that she wouldn't want to hear.

"This area is only available to the first class."

Are you kidding me? Quino thought as she did her best not to express her frustration.

"Yes, ma'am, I know that. I'm first class," Quino said as calmly as possible.

"Well, I was sent here to make sure you were first class. Could I see your License?"

"License?" Quino asked. She couldn't help the tiny bit of frustration that had leaked out.

"Yes. You registered for the first class by using your Hunter License. May I see it to confirm that you haven't used a stolen one?"

Quino breathed in deeply.

She's just an old lady. She's just doing her job. There's no need to blow up on her.

"The thing is, I don't have a Hunter License. This guy paid first class for me," Quino explained.

However, this only made the old woman frown. "Well, I'm afraid without proof you won't be able to enjoy the privileges that come with being first class. I'm sorry."

"So I can't eat this food?" Quino asked as politely as she could muster.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Will you take away my room too?" Quino asked through gritted teeth.

"I— Well," the old woman didn't finish but she had made it clear to Quino.

Why is life so unfair?

Quino walked away as calmly as possible, though her muscles were practically rippling with restrained rage.

She wasn't sure what to do with herself.

Would going back to my room even matter? The staff probably locked the room by now.

Still, Quino was always known for being persistent.

Passing by the same people who had slighted her time and time again, she was capable of blocking them out completely. Her mind was settled on one goal and one goal only: getting to her room before they locked it on her.

She got to her room just in time to see one of the staff putting a key into her room's door.

"Hey!"

The staff member whipped his head toward her and then ran away, not only forgetting to lock the room but also forgetting the key he had dropped.

Quino swiped the key from the floor and entered her room. She quietly closed the door, even though all she really wanted to do was slam it shut and let the world know she was fed up with everyone and everything.

Her body dragged her toward the bed, her stomach growling in protest.

"What's two days without food?" Quino muttered to herself as she looked out the window to watch the clouds roll by.

I think I need another bath, she thought.

But she had fallen asleep before she could get up from the bed.

XXX

Quino now knew what two days without food felt like: hell.

She was starving and her stomach wouldn't stop growling. She had slept in her dress yesterday and had switched to her dirty tank top and camo cargo shorts when she had realized just how uncomfortable it was to sleep in her dress. At that point, she didn't care if she dirtied up the room beyond repair. Which she had managed to do. Except instead of replacing the contents of the room with new things, they had decided to put Quino into debt. So now she had to somehow pay off 40,000 jennies. All for a _single_ room.

Yeah, Quino was glad to have gotten off the ship.

Well, more like _jump off_ the ship. She had to sneak away because the staff members wouldn't even let her leave her room. So she used the window in her room, climbed to the other side of the ship, and jumped onto Whale Island's dock.

She was glad to be rid of the ship and its inhabitants.

Quino took in a deep breath, inhaling the freshest air she had ever experienced. She watched as people continued on with their lives, witnessed the content and happiness that the residents of Whale Island seemed to have, felt the peaceful serenity that only a small town could muster.

Her feet started walking, her burgundy eyes taking in the simple yet beautiful town. Though as she walked through Whale Island, she discovered that it was more like a village than a town. Everyone knew everyone, and they all worked in harmony. The close ties made her a little jealous.

It wasn't long until her eyes feasted upon what looked to be a blacksmith's shop.

She rushed into the shop, wondering what craftsmanship she'll see.

While there were weapons, most of what was being displayed was more for agriculture or decor. A little part of her was disappointed, but Quino thought it was a nice change of pace. It just proved how peaceful things were on Whale Island.

"Lass, you need anything?"

Quino looked to her right and found an old weathered man. "No, sir, just browsing." She studied the old man for a few more seconds. "Are you the owner of this shop?"

The man smiled, a few of his front teeth missing. "I am. Most tourists don't think I'm capable."

She smiled back, then said, "Well, it takes one to know one."

The old man raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her statement. "You're a blacksmith?"

Quino nodded. "Yes, sir. I started young, my mother needed help around the shop."

"How old are you, missy?"

"Eleven," Quino said.

"Impressive," the old man commented.

"Sir, what's your name?" Quino asked, giving a warm smile to the old man.

"Bartabus."

Quino nodded, extending her hand. "My name is Quino, sir. Maybe next time I come and visit I'll be able to buy something from here."

"Come by soon. I'll get my wife to make you some nice lentil stew."

"Sounds good!" Quino said as she exited the shop.

He was nice, she thought with a bright smile.

"Excuse me!"

Quino was pushed to the ground in the blink of an eye.

"Geez, watch where you're going Mellik," another voice said.

"Ahaha, sorry."

Quino got up and saw a light brown haired kid, who looked a bit on the scrawny side, holding a crate and a muscular black-haired teenager holding another crate.

"I'm so sorry," the kid said as he gathered apples that must have fallen from the crate he was holding.

"Sorry about my little brother. Won't happen again," the teenager said as he dragged his kid brother away just as he picked up all the apples from the cobblestone ground.

Meanwhile, Quino hadn't said a word.

After a few seconds of trying to process what had just happened, she shrugged her shoulders and continued on.

Quino spotted a forest not too far away from the village. She wasn't the most adventurous type, but she might as well explore everything Whale Island has to offer. The forest was very green, and she could tell that Whale Island's main feature is most likely the forest. Though there weren't any paved roads, Quino felt that that just made the beauty of this forest stand out even more. Quino is a sucker for rustic, earthy looks though.

She descended deeper into the forest, much deeper than she would usually feel comfortable with. It was then that she found all sorts of exotic creatures. One of them being a pitch black snake with dark green rings around its body. It was sleeping as she studied its memorizing looks. But then her eyes traveled up to where the snake's eyes would be and realized that they were a dark brown color.

The snake was looking right at her. It slithered its tongue out, a pink liquid lathered on it. A drop of the pink liquid dropped and collided with the floor, a sizzle erupting Quino out of her study.

That liquid is corrosive, Quino thought. She felt panic overcome her, though all she did was freeze.

She needed to move, she needed to leave, _now_. But her body just wouldn't obey her.

So here she was, the snake's dark brown gaze looking directly into her burgundy eyes while her panicked burgundy eyes looked straight into the snake's dark brown eyes. A few seconds passed by, the tension so palpable, so tangible, that it threatened to drown her.

The snake hissed, and Quino knew that it was her time to go. She shot off to the right, hoping to outrun the snake. But she had underestimated it gravely.

It was a huge snake. Despite its huge size, however, the snake was somehow keeping up with Quino.

She kept running and running, but she wasn't making any headway. So, with much speed, she climbed a tree. Quino had gotten as high as she could on the tree when the snake had finally made its way to her.

Noticing how high she was, the snake stared at her for a few seconds before slithering off.

When Quino was sure it was gone, she had started her descent down the tree. She planted her feet on the ground and stood there for a minute, the effects of the adrenaline running through her system making her pant heavily.

Quino, for all her intellect, didn't realize that the snake could've easily reached her if it had tried.

After she stopped panting, the adrenaline having left her, she started her trek back to the village. She had her fill of adventure for today.

XXX

"Free fish, free fish!"

Quino had just gotten back to the village and a plate of grilled fish was shoved in her hands. Not like she was complaining. She was _really_ hungry.

Digging in with much abandon, Quino didn't bother to savor the meal. But she did enjoy the meal regardless.

After she was done with her fish, she decided to investigate what the commotion was about.

"Gon caught the Lord of the Lake!"

This didn't make much sense to Quino, but, from what she'd gathered, apparently a twelve year old boy had somehow caught a fish about five times bigger than him. And that was his rite of passage to take the Hunter Exam.

Quino really loved this village.

It was a shame that she had to leave though. Unlike Whale Island, her adoptive mother's mysterious disappearance couldn't wait. She needed to find her first, but afterwards she might come back every now and then. Maybe even settle there, if she wanted to get away from the city in the future.

With much disappointment, Quino hopped onto the biggest ship there was. Surprisingly, it was easy to sneak on.

But then she saw all the intimidating and frightening men on board and realized that this ship wasn't all what it seemed to be.

From riches to rags, Quino thought miserably as she sat down far away from the rest of the people. Hopefully these guys aren't as mean as the rich people.

* * *

Hey everybody!

I did it! The first chapter of the remake!

But I am sorry I didn't upload a chapter during the week like I said I would. I got busy/distracted with things and I may have procrastinated _just_ a little bit (or a lotta bit). Not much else to say...

Well, you know the drill. **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. Togashi Yoshihiro owns it. I just own my characters. And that's only about four... and all the random people I give names to. This is a long disclaimer.**

So anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of the remake! Get ready (to rumble!) for the next chapter and we'll see if I upload a chapter during the week! Bye Bye~


	2. Villages x to x Cities

A tall woman gazed out toward the sea, her feet planted in the sand. She took a deep breath, smelling the humid, ashy air.

It smells gross, but I'll miss it.

"Are you sure you have to leave us?"

The woman looked behind her, seeing one of the smaller girls of her village. The little girl had always been teased about her height. The woman didn't pity her though; she had given the girl advice and hopefully she would take it.

It's on her whether or not she listens, the woman thought as she took in another breath of the ashy air around her.

"I don't have to leave you. Not really. But I've got something in mind that I want to do. I have to go over to the mainland in order to do that. You understand, kid?"

The girl frowned. "I think I do." The girl's eyes bore into the ground, fear settling upon her face. "But what about the monsters?"

With a grin, the woman said, "I trained all of you. You'll be able to defend yourselves while I'm away."

It's up to you whether you get killed or not, the woman thought as she looked up at the sky.

She heaved out a sigh. "Look, I don't know if I'll be back. I don't even know if I'll survive."

"I don't want you to go. What if there are badder monsters? What if they are too strong?" The girl's mind was plagued with so many worries; worries a child shouldn't have to endure. But their homeland was vicious and merciless. Their homeland has no place for a child.

The woman chuckled at the fearful small girl in front of her. "Yeah, there are some pretty bad monsters out there. Nothing I can't deal with though. Here, how about I trade you some war stories if I come back, huh?" She sent a grin to the child in front of her, confidence oozing out of her in waves.

The child's frown lifted up into a smile, the woman's confidence having rubbed off on her.

"Do you really have to go though?" A voice called out from behind the small girl. It was another girl, her blond locks tied up in pigtails a dead giveaway to the woman she was.

The woman scratched her arm and heaved out another sigh. "Oh, it's you. Look's like you got that promotion you always wanted. Ya know, being the new leader and all." The woman didn't miss how the blond girl's body tensed.

"I didn't want it like this, Primna," the blond girl said with a biting edge. The small girl next to her flinched. All the other children in their village would flinch too, just like the small girl. The woman, however, wasn't one to get scared easily, especially from the blond girl's temper.

"Sorry, I don't do drama. I'll give you an update when that changes, Britna," the woman said nonchalantly.

The girl, now known as Britna, grinded her teeth. The little girl glanced between the two, feeling the animosity spurring between them.

"You aren't going," Britna said, a barely concealed demand passing her lips. Her glare at the woman backed up her demand, though that wouldn't deter the woman one bit.

"If Primna needs to go, she needs to go. I trust her," the little girl spoke up, garnering the attention of the two older females.

"Thanks, Druvna," the woman said, giving a wink at the small girl.

The small girl giggled at the action, the blond beside her displeased.

"Now, I've got to go. The tides'll give me a straight shot to the other side. Otherwise, it'll be a pain and I'll probably end up being eaten by some Echo Sharks," the woman said, the last bit devised to intentionally scare the little girl, Duvna. It worked, Primna taking glee in the little girl's fear. Britna only rolled her eyes in response.

"Fine. I'll be an even better leader than you ever were!" Britna declared with a deep blush before turning around and marching back over to her village.

"Please, be careful," Duvna said with a stammer.

"Yeah, well, I'm called Reckless Rose for a reason," Primna said, sporting a malicious grin on her lips. "I'll try to be a bit mindful, but ya can't hold it against me if I go down in a fight. That's just how I am."

Duvna giggled and then nodded. "You can't blame me for trying."

"Just make sure you don't die before me, 'kay? I'd hate to know I left before you were ready to tackle on a beast or two."

"B-But they come in packs of three to five!" The Duvna said, her eyes widening in fear.

"Unless you're deciding to take a nice hike in these monster-infested lands, then you'll be fine. Make sure not to do anything stupid or reckless. That's _my_ job," the woman said with a snicker.

"Be careful," the small girl muttered before running back to the village.

With a sigh, the woman looked back over to the sea.

"Hopefully they don't realize I lied again. 'Cause the only way to figure that lie out is to try it. The currents are bizarre out here," Primna muttered to herself.

The sound of the waves' lull would usually make her tired, but right now she was wide awake.

She thought about the children in the village, how she had practically raised them when she had failed to protect the adults and elders. It was her duty to protect all the villagers, a duty handed down to her when her father had finally abandoned his home once and for all. And she had failed in that duty when she was twelve. The younger children would always tell her that she couldn't have done any better, that there's no way a 12 year old could take on so many beasts at once.

But in this land, age is relative. It wouldn't have mattered if I was seven, 12, or 30; it's still my responsibility to ensure the villagers' safety. Even if that meant sacrificing myself for the sake of the village. The older kids understood that, Primna thought with a scowl.

In a way, she had felt redeemed when she had managed to save the children from that massacre and raise them all. It was hard work, but Primna felt it was worth it. But a few years ago she had gotten caught up in a current. That current bled into another which bled into another which bled into another and finally she had hit land, but it wasn't her homeland. It was the _mainland_, as her partner-in-crime called it.

When she finally managed to get back, she was already hooked on the peace and wonderful discoveries she had made while in the mainland. She had trained the children she had raised soon after so that way she could venture back to the mainland. Now, here she was, looking out toward the sea where she knew the mainland laid on the other shore. This time, though, she would have to use her wits to figure out how to get to the mainland. But she had something now that would help her in her endeavor.

"Hopefully I trained them enough," Primna muttered, anxiety starting to claw its way up her heart. The last thing she would want is to end up like her father: letting those unable to defend themselves be eradicated.

Good thing I came around, the woman thought as she glanced behind her.

A small trail of smoke flowed lazily into the sky, possibly from the remnants of the bonfire the children had created earlier. Then her vibrant green eyes noticed the dark gray clouds rolling in. Rain would most likely hit the village in about an hour.

The clouds almost look like they're pushing me forward, Primna thought.

"Even nature is telling me to get moving." She snickered. "Well, here goes."

She concentrated, feeling that familiar feeling she had gotten acquainted with in recent years. Vapors of aura clung onto her body, the white aura slowly dying into a muted green.

"You better be right about this, Kuriya. I'll drag you down with me if I find out you lied to me," the woman muttered.

Concentrating her aura to her feet, she sprinted toward the sea. She leapt out into the ocean, the aura around her feet propelling her farther out into the sea than what was natural. Then she found herself falling, and she willed herself to not freak out. The violent waves she was quickly descending down to though weren't helping her rattled nerves.

Kuriya told me that panicking would break my concentration. I can't let that happen unless I want to end up as food to whatever lives under the ocean, Primna thought.

Her feet landed on the water's surface, the chaotic waves underneath causing her body to wobble. She strained to adjust to the wild movement but she quickly discovered that it was nearly impossible.

I should've known that this would happen! There's a reason ships never make it far, she thought as she grunted from the effort to balance herself.

"You think you can get the best of me, you crabby waves? News flash, you're not the boss of me!" With an irritated glare, Primna started to stomp toward her destination.

I'm starting to already lose my patience! Primna thought with a deep-seated frown.

However, there was one thing that the woman hadn't accounted for. A few hours into her difficult journey, the gray clouds that had strolled by her village had caught up to her. Rain came down on her, drenching her thin village garb and the body it covered. Lightning lit up the sky, thunder roaring soon after. All this commotion had only made the sea even more volatile.

"I can't catch a break, can I?" Primna muttered under her breath, her face sporting a scowl.

As if nature understood her quiet mutter, lightning struck three feet away from her, the thunder after making her cringe at how loud it was.

"That's it, I'm tired of this!" She started to race through the chaos, making leaps and bounds whenever she felt it would save her time and energy. She focused solely on the long journey ahead of her, the rain, lightning, and thunder no longer important enough to garner her attention.

Why did I want to go to the mainland again? Primna thought with a huff.

The distant sound of thunder reached her ears, causing the woman to look behind her.

Her eyes widened as she realized that she was no longer in the eye of the storm. Primna looked back ahead of her, noticing the small glimpse of land.

Right, I wanted to take the Hunters Exam. Which I don't even know if it actually exists. I only assume it does because Kuriya mentioned it. And she hasn't given me false information, yet.

A few hours later, and Primna wanted to cut her journey short. "I think it's time to spice things up a bit."

With a confident grin, she sped up. She watched as the land came closer and closer, watched as it became larger with each step, watched as—

"Crap!" Primna shouted as she tried to slow down.

She hadn't thought about slowing down as she approached the mainland. Now she was going to run straight through a plaza filled with a lot of people and probably cause a massive amount of damage.

Primna scanned the area, hoping to find something that could help her slow down or somewhere she could divert to that won't cause a whole building to collapse.

Her body slowed down enough for her to take a sharp right. Straight toward a mountain. Coating herself in her green aura, she crashed right into the mountain.

As her body eventually skidded to a stop on a patch of thin grass, Primna was battling with the pain that threatened to consume her. Her breaths were sharp and frequent, her body felt heavy like lead.

That was... really reckless, the woman thought with admonishment.

A few minutes after, she felt the pain lessen. She tried moving her arm, noting with relief that she was able to lift it. She tried the other arm, watched as she guided it up and over her face. She tried to get herself up and soon found herself standing with no pain.

"I crashed into a mountain... with nothing but a few bruises?" Primna said, looking herself over.

There were a few bruises on her arms and legs, and she felt a bruise on the left side of her temple, but there was nothing else.

"Wow, this nen stuff is pretty cool," Primna muttered as she flexed her fingers. "This is awesome!"

She made her way over to the edge of the plateau, making note that she wasn't too far away from the city she had almost crashed into.

"Well, time to get a phone or something and call Kuriya."

However, that turned out to be easier said than done.

"I just need to borrow your phone for a sec," Primna said, trying her best not to lose her cool.

The old lady simply scowled at her and took off with more speed than Primna thought she was capable of.

"This has got to be the sixth time!" Primna shouted, causing people around her to look at her oddly. "There's got to be somebody who's willing to let me borrow their phone. It's not like I'm gonna take off with it."

"Um, M'am, you're standing in the middle of the road."

The woman looked at the man and glared at him, causing him to back away slowly. Her concentrated glare was broken by the sound of a honk. She looked toward the direction and saw that there was a line of cars down the road, the person in the car in front of the line shouting out what had to be obscenities from the safety of his vehicle.

Can't they just go another way? Primna thought as she got out of the way. The cars rushed ahead, hoping to save time by going faster than the speed limit.

"How could I forget how annoying everything was here," Primna muttered under her breath as she stalked down the road.

"Hey, pretty thing," a man she was approaching said.

"Since I'm such a 'pretty thing', you mind letting me borrow your phone really quick?"

The man smirked and said, "Sure, but only if you do something for me first."

Primna rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I'll find somebody else."

"Are you sure you can find somebody else?"

She stopped in her tracks, a pregnant pause of utter deadly silence filled the gap between them. "Are you watching me?"

The man grinned, and Primna noted that he looked like he was part of the mafia. "How about this? You tell me something, and I'll give you my phone real quick. Deal?"

Not like anybody else is going to let me borrow their so, Primna thought.

"'Kay, deal. What you want to know?"

"Easy. I saw you come here from the ocean. Where did you come from?"

Primna rubbed her right arm, not liking where this was going.

What would Kuriya say to this? the woman thought.

"I came from a land far away. An island. Is that good enough?" Primna said, hoping that would be enough for the man.

There was a pause. Then the woman noted how it looked like he was about to say something, but he decided to simply nod instead.

"Here," the man said, tossing his phone to Primna.

Primna quickly called Kuriya, hoping she wasn't already on the phone with a client.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell is the site?" Primna heard a small laugh come from the other side of the phone.

"Zaban City, Dolle Harbor. Look for the lone cedar tree on top of a hill. You'll be able to see it from the harbor."

Primna felt something was off. "Are you busy? Usually you'd try to play with my head, spout a few riddles, until you're satisfied. _Then_ you tell me stuff."

"Yes, I am busy," Kuriya responded.

Primna could hear something in the background. It sounded like voices. She even heard something collide with something metal. "I don't really care, but are you okay? I'm hearing a bunch of things."

"Truly? You must be hearing things, indeed. Perhaps you should seek psychiatric help—"

"Wha— No! Don't you dare think I'm crazy! You're not even my boss!"

"Well, technically—"

"Forget it. Whatever. Zaban City, Dolle Harbor, lone cedar tree atop a hill. Bye!" Primna said with a huff.

"Bye," Kuriya said a few seconds after.

Then the phone hung up.

* * *

Hey everybody!

So... this chapter was actually _really_ hard for me to do for some reason. It was solely going to be Quino, but it just wasn't working. I kept writing (or typing) and everything just didn't sit right with me. Then finally I had enough and decided to try and write from a different character's POV. Tried Malli, tried Kuriya, then I tried Primna's and everything kind of clicked. But then I didn't know _what_ to write and... well, you get the point.

I had to rewrite, scrap, and power through this chapter. The next chapter is going to be _super_ easy and you'll see why. Also, because I'm such a terrible person at trying to keep to a schedule, I'm just going to go ahead and work on the next chapter. Right now. And post it when I'm finished with it. Yes, I think that's what I should do from now on.

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter. It's silly to think that I do, since everyone knows Togashi owns it but disclaimers are disclaimers, right? (Whatever that's supposed to me...)**

Remember to follow this story so that way you'll actually know when I've updated it (Sundays cannot be trusted...), favorite to bring a smile to my face (nah, only if you really like it), and... review if you want your voice to be heard. I guarantee I'll respond back, and I'm much more friendly on the internet than I am in person (take that however you want)!

Oh, and the title of the first and second chapter were totally not planned. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! Bye bye!


	3. Journeying x to x Jappon

"Bye."

The phone hung up.

The girl was just thankful that the woman on the other line was quick-tempered. Otherwise the men surrounding her, that had bound her to a chair, would have caught the woman's attention. That was the last thing the girl wanted.

"What business ya have in Zaban City?"

The girl closed her eyes, not bothering to look at the rugged man questioning her. "I didn't think it would matter considering its on another continent. But perhaps you're more cowardly than I'd originally thought."

"Who you callin' a coward, bitch?!"

"You. Apparently I misjudged your intellect too," she remarked monotonously. She wasn't happy with this situation. Nor was she remotely amused. But it was her own fault that got her into this mess.

She had let her guard down, in all honesty. She was in the middle of a meeting with a client who had wanted information concerning the underworld. What she hadn't realized was that her client had been followed. Unfortunately for the client, he had died due to a bomb that was meant to incapacitate both her and her client. It worked like a charm, much to the girl's disdain. So now here she was, bound to a chair and surrounded by rowdy mafia men.

"Tell us what business you have in Zaban City."

The girl opened her eyes, her steely gaze drifting toward the man she was most weary of. He wore a simple black suit, the usual standard attire for men in the mafia. He looked tough, like the rest of his group. All in all, nothing really made him stand out. But there was one thing that _did_ set him apart from the rest of them. It was the aura that was well concealed around his person. She could barely feel it, but to hide that aura so well spoke volumes of the man's experience with it.

"That'll be 1000 jennies. Cash only," the girl said with a straight face.

"You're tied to a damn chair! We're the ones making the deals!" the rugged man said, his tan hand grabbing ahold of the girl's long black hair and pulling it back.

The girl showed no sign of discomfort, much to the male's growing agitation.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation," the other man started, stalking toward the girl seated and tied to the chair. "We could kill you, we could torture you. We'd do anything to get information, so you better start speaking up before we _really_ hurt you." He stopped in front of her, his predatory gaze narrowing at the indifference in her eyes.

"You want me to divulge information? If you wanted information, then you could just pay me for it. I'm an information broker, after all." The look in the eyes of the man in front of her made her smirk. "There, I spoke up. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

The rugged man pulling her hair pulled on it even more.

For a split second, the girl grimaced. But she recovered just as quickly, her eyes looking at the man in front of her with defiance. "1000 jennies for the information about the phone call. 50000 jennies for the current location of Don Constantine."

"Do you think this is a game?!" the man in front of her shouted, his aura flaring with his outburst.

The girl sighed, then said, "No. This is not entertaining enough to be considered a game. In fact, I've grown disinterested in this. If you had managed to entertain me, I might have given you a 10% discount on the whereabouts of Don Constantine. Unfortunately, you've failed to do that."

"You b—"

"Speaking of which, I think I'll escape now," the girl said with finality.

Upon hearing her statement, all the men surrounding her laughed.

How could a teenager escape the twenty mafia men surrounding her? How could a teenager who was bound to a chair with nothing except the clothes on her back escape?

None of them believed she could escape from this scenario. That was, until they noticed that the rope tying her arms together unraveled.

The girl sprung out of her chair, punching the man with aura coating his body in the face.

The other man, the one who had been pulling her hair, had let go of her while he was laughing at her statement. This proved to be a fatal error. A decisive kick to the stomach, followed by an uppercut to the chin, was enough to bring that man down.

All the men surrounding them charged at once. The girl simply leapt up, avoiding the men charging at her. The men collided with one another, creating a heap of bodies that cushioned her descent.

The girl walked over to the entrance of the dilapidated warehouse, but she was stopped from exiting the building by a painful squeeze on her wrist.

"I've been waiting for this. Roc—"

The girl socked the man in the face before he could even finish. He lost his grip on her, and she used this chance to quickly leave the building.

It was still light out, but the girl could tell it would be evening soon. She scanned her surroundings, not finding any more enemies at the vacant dock.

"Don't think you can—"

"Pardon me, but I'll be taking my leave," the girl interrupted as she sped away from the area before the man could grab ahold of her.

She stopped when she was in a dark alleyway with only a measly old porch light, though it barely gave out any light. She retrieved her phone that she had managed to conceal well enough in her boot and called someone. Putting the phone to her ear, she waited and hoped that the person would pick up.

"Hello?"

With much hesitation, she quietly said, "Father."

"Kuriya? Did something happen?"

The girl would've scoffed at his concerned voice, but she knew that would've been rude. And she wouldn't be rude to one of her clients. "The mafia is currently on my trail. My scalp feels like its burning because it was being pulled back harshly. Its growing dark, which will limit my visibility. And I lost a client because they stuck their nose in places they shouldn't. Specifically, the mafia. This day so far has been harrowing."

"So it would seem. What would you have me do?"

"Nothing," she responded immediately.

There was silence on the other line, but Kuriya knew that he hadn't hung up just yet.

"You called me for no reason other than to report your day to me?"

The girl scowled, her blue-gray eyes boring holes into the stone wall in front of her. "Yes," she said through gritted teeth.

"Your day must've been very stressful."

"Don't need pity," Kuriya said, trying her best to remain quiet. The mafia could be around the corner for all she knew.

"This is unprofessional."

She took in a deep breath and breathed out, "I know."

"And if it were anyone other than myself, you would be ridiculed."

"I know."

I know that, which is why—

"And you would most likely lose them as a client."

"I know," she hissed.

Another pause ensued. She waited for him to say something. Though if he didn't respond soon—

"Do you have any information on Citadel Natural?"

Kuriya willed herself to calm down. While she wanted to tell her father that he could find out whatever he wanted by himself, she knew he would do something that would somehow hinder her business. With this in mind, she said, "1300 jennies."

"Cash only?"

"Cash only," Kuriya echoed monotonously.

"Fine. Zaban City. Motel Herce. Room 203. The jennies will be in a ziplock bag taped underneath the sink, in the cabinet."

Kuriya walked away from the porch light, allowing the darkness to envelop her. "Citadel Natural is a green company that promotes environmental welfare just like any other green company. However, they are backed up by Don Jax, and they cover up any accusations on Don Jax's deforestation antics by pointing the finger at others, specifically on the local gang, the Mutix. Though Don Jax rules Citadel Natural with an iron fist. Not surprising given that's his modus operandi."

"Anything worth stealing?"

"Hmm," was all she responded with.

I could charge him more, Kuriya thought as she pondered on what to do. But would it be wise? No, perhaps it wouldn't. As it is, I'm wasting time. I need to wrap this up.

"I'm feeling generous, so I'll give this free of charge: yes. Specifically, the jennies that they hide in the basement that no one, not even their own employers, knows is there. A total of 80000. Not too much, but nothing to scoff at."

"Just jennies?"

"Not what you're looking for?" Kuriya scanned her surroundings again, wondering if perhaps they had lost her trail.

"I'm more interested in items."

Ah, I should have known better. Father only likes to steal interesting trinkets that fetch a large sum, Kuriya thought as she smirked.

"Of course. In that case, there is most likely nothing worth stealing there. Maybe the occasional expensive watch, but nothing too interesting. It's best to save your energy for the Underground Auction at Yorknew City."

"Hmm, you're probably right. Well, I'll let you run away from the mafia now. Bye."

"Bye," Kuriya said, hanging up soon after.

She made her way out of the alleyway, wary of her surroundings. Kuriya hadn't seen anything suspicious, though she was aware that they could be waiting for her to drop her guard. It was dark out, the sun having descended to allow the denizens of Belleroze to rest.

Kuriya had made it to the border of the city when her phone started ringing. Alarmed by the noise, she quickly grabbed it out of her trench coat pocket and inspected who was calling. With a sigh, she answered.

"Is there something you needed, Primna?"

"Well, I don't really know where I am. And everybody is intimidated by me," Primna explained.

Kuriya glanced around at her surroundings, finding it suspicious that the mafia hadn't found her yet. "Perhaps if you smiled more they wouldn't be avoiding you like the plague."

"Except I'm doing that."

Kuriya could tell that Primna was irritated. And that was probably putting it lightly. "Are you certain you're not being overly fake about it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Though she knew that the woman was definitely irritated, going by her tone of voice, Kuriya couldn't help but go back to old habits. And those habits involved teasing the woman currently on the other side of the line.

"And you're not overcompensating your manly behavior by wearing makeup?"

"Wha— no! I don't wear makeup and you know it!"

"Ah, the natural beauty one would kill for."

"Stop teasing me, and answer me already!"

Kuriya chuckled, probably irritating the woman on the other line even more. "The problem with your question is the fact I'm not omniscient. Why ask someone where they are when you haven't given them sufficient data to give an educated guess?"

"Huh, that's true. I guess you can't help after all."

Kuriya sighed, wondering how the woman could possibly function in life. "While I am flattered you think so highly of me, it speaks volumes of how anchored to reality you are."

"...Is that an insult?"

"An insult? It is only an insult if you perceive it to be so. Who am I to tell you what to think?"

"...'Kay, bye."

Before Kuriya could say anything more, Primna hung up. The black-haired girl smirked, her mood infinitely brighter.

I take great joy in messing with those too dull to keep up, Kuriya thought. I need to go to Zaban City, too. Father will do as he says, he's honorable in that sense. However, it would be nice to have a Hunter License to get into otherwise restricted areas. I can only go so far without one.

Inputting a number into her phone, the person immediately picked up. "Yes?"

"I need a ride to Zaban City. I'm currently in the Belleroze continent. Could you station it somewhere close to Jappon?"

"Understood."

She promptly hung up, a ding signaling a few seconds later that her private jet had been scheduled to land somewhere. Just as she'd told them, the jet would land somewhere near Jappon. She saw the coordinates, then consulted her phone's built-in map to figure out where she was and which direction she needed to head toward. Placing her phone back in its pocket, she started to head west, hoping her journey wouldn't take too long.

When the sun had risen high enough for shops to open up, Kuriya decided to take a stop at the closest weapons shop.

It wasn't too big, but she could tell that the weapons made were of good quality. There were shuriken, katana, naginata, kunai, and even traditional knives. Though her eyes always gravitated toward the katana displayed.

"Hello, is there anything specific you'd like?"

Kuriya turned her attention to the shopkeeper, who she thought should've retired ten years ago. At least he looked old enough to retire.

"Could you make a custom katana?"

The shopkeeper stroked his white beard, his face deep seated in thought. "Customs are available. I have a sheet for customs right here. Fill it out and you'll have a katana in a few days."

"How long?" Kuriya asked as she approached the shopkeeper.

"About three days, no later than four."

Kuriya took a sheet and asked, "Pen?"

The shopkeeper procured a pen out of his pocket and gave it to Kuriya.

She filled out the sheet and gave it to the shopkeeper. "I'll come within two days. If you don't have it by then, I'll keep coming back until you've given it to me."

The shopkeeper simply nodded, letting Kuriya know that he understood.

Kuriya exited the shop, her feet carrying her wherever they pleased.

I'll have to wait in this town for a little bit. It should be fine though, Kuriya thought as she stopped in her tracks. Though I do wonder how Malli's doing. I should check up on her. The girl could be caught up in all sorts of trouble by now.

Kuriya fished her phone out of her trench coat again, inputting the number that she calls more frequently than any other. It rung and rung, and rung. Then it finally went to voicemail. Kuriya hung up then called again, the same result.

What in the world is she doing? I've told her time and time again that she must have her phone on her at all times. And that it must be _on_ at all times. The fact she isn't even answering...

Kuriya grew worried for her exuberant friend.

I hope she isn't caught up in something horrible, Kuriya thought as she headed toward a hotel. And I hope I won't be stuck in this town for too long. The Hunter Exam waits for no one.

* * *

Hey everybody!

This chapter's short by about 500 words. But I'm sure you all don't mind. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter. I'm planning on writing everyday, so hopefully I'll be able to update more often but we'll see.

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter. Plain and simple.**

Remember to follow so that way you can keep up with my sporadic updating, favorite to show your love for the fanfic, and review if you've got constructive criticism, questions, or comments.

See you all in the next chapter! Bye bye~


	4. First x to x Arrive

In my pocket there's a lollipop coated with sugar.  
In my mouth there's a sour punch pushing my trigger.  
In my eyes there's a raindrop giving a snigger.  
In my hand there's a painkiller close to a chigger.  
In my—

"Hey, little girl."

She looked up at the man with wide, innocent eyes. Deep inside, however, she was fuming from being interrupted from her thoughts. "Is there something you need, sir?"

"Why're you starin'?"

Her eerie yellow eyes focused intently on the man's brown eyes, though they screamed to lock on to the vase in the man's hands.

Before the man had noticed that she was staring intently at the package in his hands, she had studied and analyzed it from afar.

There's no way someone like him could afford something that expensive, Malli thought as she stared at the man. The white vase with the whimsical yet elegant baby blue swirls encompassing its majestic figure has to at least be over 95000 Jenny. And the maker of the piece had put a signature on it, shooting the price up to at least 97000 Jenny. To top it off, it looks like it was made of glass, but it could also be ceramic. The fact the man is holding it with so much caution says so. And I could've sworn that there was a crest on the bottom. Crests are only displayed on items coming from royalty or those of high society, which raises the price even _further_. Maybe I could take that burden off his hands.

"Sir, how much did you want for that vase?"

The man visibly flinched. "Um, this vase? It's not for—"

"It could easily be 65000 Jenny. That vase is really pretty," the girl said.

The man looked down at the vase in his hands, then looked back at the girl. "What would a girl like you know about how much this thing would sell?"

"Buying things isn't rocket science," the girl said with a smile.

"You have 65000 on you?"

The girl's smile grew even wider. "I do, actually. Can I please buy the pretty vase?"

The man scrutinized the girl in front of her.

She doesn't look dangerous. Just another kid on the block who sees a shiny thing and wants to have it. Whatever, the man thought.

"Fine," the man said, extending his hand out, "but give me the Jenny first."

The girl in front of him frowned. "How do I know you won't run off with my Jenny and the vase?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I won't."

The girl nodded and eagerly took out 65000 Jenny. "Here you go."

The man took it, and counted. When he made sure he got 65000 Jenny, he gave the girl the vase.

She gleefully said, "Thank you!" before taking off. When she was far enough away, she entered an alleyway and inspected the bottom of the vase. Her eyes took notice of the signature _and_ crest that was delicately carved into it.

This glass vase could easily fetch 120000 Jenny. I could start it off with that price and see if anyone will bid for it. That guy was _so_ easy! He didn't even question it, the girl thought with joy.

The girl looked down at the Jenny in her hand and grinned.

Not to mention I managed to swipe a few hundred Jenny back. He was really dumb to give the vase with the Jenny in his hand still, the girl giggled at the thought.

"All in all, a good deal."

"Miss," a voice called from behind.

Stuffing the Jenny in her pocket, she turned around and saw a police officer standing there.

Wait, why is a police officer here? No, no, you need to act innocent. You did _nothing_ wrong, she thought as she beamed at the police officer.

"Is there something you need?"

"Where did you get that vase from?"

The girl scrunched her nose, a pout forming on her lips. "I bought it from a nice man. It was pretty and I asked if I could have it and he said yes so I bought it."

"And what was this nice man's name?"

Think, quick!

"Mr. Ruthford. He works at the docks, sir."

For a moment, the police officer looked as if he wasn't sold. But then he gave her a smile and said, "Thank you for telling me. I'll be going to see Mr. Ruthford now."

The police officer left her, but she felt all the more scared.

I need to go, _now_, the girl thought as she quickly left the alleyway and trekked through the streets.

Her pace quickened as her mind grew more and more fearful of the possible danger she found herself in. The people all around her didn't help ease her nerves. For all she knew, they could be policemen and policewomen in disguise.

I need to get away faster. Maybe hitching a ride to the next town would work. The faster I get out of this city, the better, the girl thought as she glanced at her surroundings.

She spotted a bus that was headed toward the next few towns and cities to the east. The girl made her way over to the bus and asked, "Does this bus stop at Zaban City?"

"One of the stops is Zaban City," the bus driver answered.

Good. Then I can sell this at Zaban City and hopefully make some money so I can board a hotel and eat somewhere nice, the girl thought as she boarded the bus.

Shortly after, the bus left.

The girl silently sighed with relief. She looked out toward the green scenery beyond the window to her left. The sight of it captivated her, but she still had a firm grip on the fragile vase in her hands. It was expensive, and she wasn't going to allow it to break while it was her possession.

Nature is pretty though. But then it has all those icky bugs and all that itchy grass on the ground and you're not allow to personalize anything because it's 'damaging property'. And then there's—

The bus hit a bump in the road, causing the passenger's and their belongings inside of it to jump. She held the vase to herself firmly, not allowing the bump in the road to break it. She inspected it just in case, seeing no cracks. A sigh escaped her lips, her yellow eyes gazing out at the sea of green once again.

"Mommy, why does she have purple hair?"

The girl focused her attention on the child who had pointed at her. Specifically, her hair.

"Honey, it's rude to point," the mother of the child said as she grabbed her child's hand.

"It looks red but it looks purple too," the child said, looking up at her mother.

The girl could tell that the child was confused. "It's magenta. That's the name of the color," she said to the child, giving a silly grin.

The mother of the child blushed, then said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect."

"It's okay. I know my hair is weird," the girl said, grabbing a few strands of hair and inspecting the long strands. They were tied up in a ponytail, but her hair was long enough to drape over her shoulder comfortably if she wanted it to.

"The color, is it natural?" the woman asked, though the girl could tell that the woman didn't want to pry.

"Yes, it's natural," she said as she sighed. "A lot of people think its weird or trashy though."

"Pretty hair," the child said as she pointed at the girl's hair.

"What's your name?"

The girl cast her gaze away from the child and to the mother. "I'm Malli."

"I'm Diana, and this curious monkey is Angela."

"Hi," Angela said as she waved at the girl.

"Hey there. It's nice to meet both of you," Malli said as she gave a smile to the child.

"Arriving at Boltun Town in five minutes. Please remain seated until vehicle is at a complete stop."

"Oh, that's our stop. Angela, make sure you put all your toys back in your bag," Diana said as she checked her own backpack to make sure everything was in it.

After a few minutes of packing everything and checking to make sure everything was in their respective backpacks, the bus came to a complete stop.

"Arrived at Boltun Town. Repeat, arrived at Boltun Town. You may now exit. Thank you for taking the Messenger Express."

"Bye, bye pretty hair," Angela said as she waved Malli goodbye.

"Thank you for entertaining her. I hope you have a safe trip," Diana said as she guided Angela and herself out of the bus.

A few other passengers got off, though Malli didn't pay much attention to them. The bus left soon after.

Malli occupied herself with the scenery outside, her firm grip on the vase in her hands renewed. And while she looked out, she caught sight of her own reflection. She frowned, her eyes drooping slightly in disdain.

I have pretty hair? Since when? Nothing about me is pretty. I look sickly. My hair, a rich magenta, clashes so badly with my pale skin. Then there's my eyes. These eyes look better on Dad than they ever did on me. Yellow eyes only make me look even more sickly. Maybe I should get contact lenses or hair dye.

"Arriving at Zaban City in five minutes. Please remain seated until vehicle is at a complete stop."

"Already?" Malli muttered under her breath. She looked down at the vase gripped in her hands and whispered, "We'll find you a nice home soon enough."

The next five minutes were, in Malli's opinion, the longest five minutes she had ever experienced. She kept fidgeting the entire time, though the grip on the vase was solid and firm.

"Arrived at Zaban City. Repeat, arrived at Zaban City. You may now exit. Thank you for taking the Messenger Express."

Taking that as her queue, Malli got up and exited the bus with the white and light blue vase gripped cautiously in her hands.

As expected from the city known for its markets, Zaban City was crowded. That, however, didn't stop Malli from walking right into the thick of the market.

I can't sell this vase on the legal market. I know this vase was most likely stolen. The black market seems like the only place I could sell it with no questions about the crest on the bottom.

With an idea in mind, Malli made her way toward the area where the black market was secretly stationed. The black market's location wasn't known to the public. Only those who sold illegal items on a regular basis or had enough money to buy with the black market's outrageous pricing were allowed to know. Malli was a frequent seller.

"Ah, Bubblegum, how has your day been?"

Malli beamed a smile at the flamboyant man who was wearing a tie-dye shirt and black shorts. "Oh, just this vase. Was wondering how much you'd price it for."

The man's black eyes focused on the vase in Malli's hands. "Ah, what a lovely catch you got. Whoever you got it from must be a fool for letting this beauty go."

"Right? He was really dumb. Didn't even question when I offered 65000 on the spot."

The man whipped up his head and laughed. After a few seconds, he reached out his hands and Malli gave the vase to him.

"Hmm, it's definitely made of glass. Not a single chip or crack on it, quite beautiful artwork. Ah, and a signature? With a crest? Perfect. You've really outdone yourself, Bubblegum!"

"Thanks. So what's the price?"

"Ah, well—"

"Proprietor!"

A young man ran over to them, his eyes focused on the man with the vase in his hands.

"I came over to warn you that I saw some flatfoot hanging around the area."

Why would a police officer be around here? The area practically smells clean! Malli started to feel fear trickle down her spine.

"Why would the police be snooping around here?" the man holding the vase said.

"It looked like he was questioning people. Askin' for a girl with purple hair," the young man said.

"Purple hair?" Malli asked the young man, who turned his attention to her.

"Yeah. Kinda looked like yours."

They followed me all the way here? Looks like I'm gonna have to go now, Malli thought as she looked at the vase in the man's hands.

"It sounds like they followed me. I thought I'd lost them. Just handle the vase. I'm sure you'll find it a good home," Malli said, turning around to leave.

"Ah, sure thing, Bubblegum! Take care. Make sure they don't catch you," the man, the proprietor of the black market in Zaban City, called out to her.

She ran away from the area, barely dodging an encounter with the policeman questioning about her whereabouts. Fortunately, no one had ratted her out. She hoped he wouldn't accidentally stumble upon the black market while he surveyed the area.

Malli stopped when she entered the legal market again.

I didn't even get any money for that vase. And I'm completely broke. Well, I have a few Jenny left, but I doubt I could buy much with what I have.

That didn't stop Malli from window-shopping. She found all sorts of cool, unique, and interesting delicacies. There were dresses, phones, food, pets, and even rare collections of coins and figurines. While she couldn't get anything, Malli did have fun with analyzing objects and figuring out if the seller was overpricing it or not. It gave her analytical skills on pricing objects a workout.

However, Malli was starting to get hungry. And she had practically nothing on her.

Maybe I'll find someplace that will be cheap enough? Or maybe someplace that will be kind enough to give me bread crumbs, Malli thought miserably.

She continued to walk, glancing left to right then left again. Much to her surprise and dismay, she hadn't found any restaurant or cafe. 30 minutes went by, and still nothing. Malli was about to give up, to call it quits and find an alleyway that seemed safe enough to take a nap in, when she found a small restaurant. It was more like a diner, but Malli could care less by this point.

Malli quickly entered the little restaurant, and found out soon after that she could order mostly everything on the menu.

Dang, this place is dirt cheap. Not like I'm complaining, though!

"Hello, may I take your order?"

Malli's attention was drawn in by the chef stationed on the other side of the bar.

Oh, is this one of those places where you could watch the chef cook your food? That's neat! Malli thought as she beamed a smile.

"Well, first, do you have a backroom?"

"What will you have?"

Is that a yes?

Her stomach growled. Fortunately, it wasn't loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Shush, stomach! Well, I don't blame you. That steak combo _really_ looks good! It looks so heavenly, so beautiful, like it lights up my world and—

"That steak combo. The steak combo that opens my eyes to the light," Malli said dreamily.

"For how many?"

Malli frowned and said, "Just me."

"How would you like it?"

Well, I prefer my steaks grilled. But I don't like it when its so hot that it burns your tongue, which is why I usually let it cook over a low flame until it's cooked. So that way I can eat it right away.

"I'd like it grilled over a low flame until it's cooked," Malli said with a hungry grin. She skimmed her thumb across her lower lip.

Nope, no drool's escaping my lips.

"Got it. Let yourself into the back room," the cook replied before concentrating on completing previous orders.

I don't know where that is. But I don't want to break his concentration. Well, I guess I'll find it eventually, right?

Malli scanned the room, finding a hall that hopefully lead to her destination. She trekked onward, eventually finding a door. She opened it, finding a room with a single table and lone chair.

I think I found the place, Malli thought with a smile.

She merrily entered the room, closed the door, and plopped herself onto the lone chair. Her eyes glanced around the room, finding nothing interesting. It was all plain.

I'm glad they had a backroom. It took forever to find somewhere to eat. How did I never notice how hard it was to find someplace to eat? You would think Zaban City would have _loads_ of restaurants but nothing could be further from the truth. But enough about that. I'm _so_ happy to afford this steak. It's gonna be delicious!

Malli was alarmed when the room felt like it was descending.

What the—

She got up from her chair, though she lost her balance from the movement of the descending room.

Was this room the one I was supposed to go in? Why do they have an entire room as an elevator? Is this some new trend going on in restaurants? A unique thing about this one? But how am I going to get my steak?

Malli decided to sit back on the chair and wait until the room stopped.

It's not like I can get anything done by panicking. I can't even say that they could've conned me because they didn't even ask for Jenny, Malli thought with a frown.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the room finally stopped.

Malli watched as one of the walls opened up, revealing an underground tunnel. A tunnel filled with people who stared at her menacingly and looked like they were ready for a fight at a moment's notice.

All I wanted was a steak. And I end up in an underground tunnel filled with thugs that look like they want to dominate me. Can't I at least have my steak?

* * *

Hey everybody!

I did it! I made to 3K. Take a moment of your time to scream yes to the heavens (unless you don't want to). Yes, I'm aware it isn't Sunday. But I actually know ahead of time that I will be busy for the entire day. So this is to give you guys something before the next chapter.

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

Well, I hope you liked this chapter. I had a blast writing this (Malli is absolutely _fun_ to write). Remember to follow because I can't stick to a schedule, favorite to celebrate the fact I stuck to _one_ thing (3K/4K is my minimum). No, you don't actually have to favorite if you don't want to. Oh, and review if you want. I don't bite (except food...).

I'll see you all next chapter! Bye, bye~


	5. To x Dolle x Harbor

I've been on this ship for about ten minutes now. Ten minutes, enough time for me to realize that this ship isn't all that's cracked up to be. The intimidating men is enough to convince me, but they're allowing weapons to be out in broad daylight. None of the staff have even batted an eye. What is wrong with these people?

"Hi, I'm Gon!"

Quino's shoulder's tensed, her wide and surprised eyes staring at the boy in front of her.

Whoa, that's a lot of green. He's wearing a green jacket, green short shorts, green boots, he's even got green tipped hair! Black green tipped hair doesn't look so bad though. At least, not on him. Maybe he really likes green?

She stopped thinking, and had an epiphany.

He's still standing there, staring at me like he's waiting for something. Did I say something? Or— Oh, I _haven't_ said anything!

"Hello, I'm Quino. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gon," she said, giving a pleasant smile to him.

His eyebrows scrunched together as if he witnessed something that was both confusing and annoying.

Did I do something wrong? That's how I usually greet people. A lot of customers like it, even the irritable ones. Wait, my customers are adults though. I should be more casual, huh? And less big words?

She noticed that Gon was now frowning, and she realized that he was probably trying to figure out what she was saying earlier.

"Sorry, let me start over," Quino said, stopping Gon from thinking too much. "It's nice to meet you, Gon."

Gon perked up at her restated greeting.

"Uh, I was wondering if you knew where this ship was going?" And why the heck so many dangerous people are on this ship, Quino wanted to add.

"Huh? We're heading to the Hunter Exam," he said with much enthusiasm.

"The Hunter Exam?"

Oh, no. I need to get off this ship, now!

Quino stood up and looked out at the ocean.

Wait, where's the town? Don't tell me we already left Whale Island!

"Gon, has the ship already left?"

He looked confused, but responded, "Yup!"

"Great. We're heading to Zaban City, which happens to be where the Hunter Exam is. I'm—"

She felt something touch her shoulder and saw a hand. Her gaze followed up the arm and finally landed on the two brown eyes that belonged to the boy she had just met.

"I don't know what's wrong, but we'll find a way to solve this," Gon said with a determined smile.

Quino took this moment to take a deep breath, willing herself to calm down and not fret too much about her situation.

There isn't much I can do right now. All I can do is wait for this ship to stop at Zaban City and I'll go from there. Right now, I have time to kill.

"Say, Gon, how old are you?" she asked, turning around and facing Gon.

"Twelve!"

Quino smiled at Gon's energetic enthusiasm. "I'm eleven. I'll be twelve later this year, though."

"Really? That's cool! Wanna play tag?"

Quino's smile faded, and she blinked in surprise.

Tag? When's the last time she'd played tag?

She closed her eyes, a small smile on her face.

It's been so long since I've played. All I do is work. It'll be nice, for a change, to play. Like kids are supposed to.

Quino's burgundy eyes shot open, a big and bright smile on her face. "I'd love to!"

Gon laughed and touched her hand. "You're it!"

She stood stock still as she watched him flee from her. Then she laughed, something she hadn't genuinely done in a while either, and ran after him.

XXX

A couple hours had passed and Quino was really tired from playing tag from Gon. She had gotten him a few times, but he was much faster and more agile than she had given him credit for. It had been about 45 minutes since she was last tagged. She had yet to get him back.

Glancing about her surroundings to see if she could spot him, her burgundy eyes landed on the crow's nest. At the back of the ship, the stern, up in the crow's nest was Gon. She continued to watch him as he sniffed the air.

What was he doing? Is the air really good up there?

Quino started climbing up the crow's nest, curious to know why he was up there in the first place.

Unlike with all the running, she proved to herself that she was definitely strong as she managed to hull herself up the crow's nest at record speed.

"What are you doing up here?"

She heard him hum in response and then he turned around to face her.

Wow, this crow's nest doesn't have a lot of space. Gon's face is _way_ too close for my liking.

"A bad storm's coming," he said with much gravity.

"Huh? Are you sure? It looks really nice right now."

Gon shook his head. "There's definitely a storm coming. The seagulls are acting weird, too."

Really?

Quino looked up at the seagulls gliding in the wind, though they looked like they were confused. There was no order, no formation, in their flight. They just chaotically flapped here and there.

"Well, I'll believe you. Besides, better safe than sorry, right?"

Gon nodded, though he quickly looked away from her.

She looked behind her, to see what he was looking at, but found nothing of interest.

"Um, maybe we can go down now," he said while she was looking behind her.

Oh, I'm probably in the way. Right.

Turning completely around, Quino started to descend down the crow's nest, trying to go down as fast as possible so that Gon can descend. However, she saw him jump out of the crow's nest and land gracefully onto the ship's wooden floor.

What? How the heck did he manage to land that? It's dangerous to do that from up there.

When she managed to descend back down onto the ship, she noticed that Gon was talking to a guy with a big red nose and a beer bottle in one hand.

I'd better get over there in case something bad happens, Quino thought with a stern gaze.

But as soon as she got there, the man had left.

"Hey, Gon, who was that?"

He looked at her and said with a big smile, "That was the captain."

The captain? Maybe I could negotiate with him later. Well, maybe not. I'm having a lot of fun with Gon and I don't the captain would stop somewhere just to drop me off.

"Can I ask you something?" Quino asked, though Gon only nodded in response. "Where did you come from?"

"You mean where I live? I lived with Mito and Grandma on Whale Island."

Quino's eyes widened with surprise. "Wait, you're from Whale Island?"

Gon nodded.

"That's so cool! What's it like to live on an island? With people who seem to know each other and get along so well? You all seem like a big family. And the people there are so nice," Quino rambled on, fascinated about what she had just found out.

Gon, however, just looked confused. And lost.

Oh, maybe I said too much stuff. It didn't help that I was talking too fast.

"Sorry, I come from the city. I was raised in Zaban City. I've never been to an island, and I've never been anywhere with such nice people and fresh air like Whale Island," Quino said sheepishly. "It just seems so great to live on Whale Island."

"Yeah, I like the forest a lot. I go and play there all the time," he said with a smile.

"I got chased by a huge snake when I went into that forest. But I'll admit that it was a beautiful forest. I've never seen a forest as green as the one on Whale Island. Cities aren't all that great. At least, Zaban City wasn't great. The air's polluted there, lots of thieves and con artists, and it's usually cloudy. Zaban City's kind of depressing. Though every now and then you get sunny days."

"I've never been to a city before. I bet they're just as cool!"

"Well, you'll probably find something cool about it," Quino said.

They made eye contact with each other and stared into each other's eyes. Then shortly busted up laughing.

After a good laugh, Quino calmed herself down and looked up at the sky. It was getting dark, and she could see dark gray clouds rolling in. Just as Gon had predicted, a storm was coming.

Wow, that's amazing, she thought as she looked back at Gon.

He looked like he was struggling to calm down still. Quino smiled at the sight. "Hey, Gon, you're right. A storm's coming. We should probably head inside, right?"

Gon opened his mouth to respond but the captain of the ship came out from the ship's interior and called all the passengers to come inside.

Much to her surprise, Gon grabbed ahold of Quino's hand and tugged her along toward the door to the ship's interior.

Along with several other passengers, Gon and Quino entered indoors for the oncoming storm that was approaching with roaring thunder.

XXX

The storm was definitely a bad one.

Quino was glad that she had gotten used to the sea. She was more often on a ship than on land, and all that experience had given her the ability to tough out bad storms. Of course, never one as bad as this one. Quino managed the torrential waves with ease.

But mostly everybody else wasn't.

She observed how most of the passengers were puking or clutching their stomachs in pain. Yes, she was definitely glad she was able to tough this storm out.

Unlike Quino, who was only watching everybody practically squirm in agony, Gon had taken initiative and was now helping all the people who were sea sick.

What can I do? I know next to nothing about stuff like this. All I'm good for is working a forge.

Quino felt helpless as she watched Gon attend to all of the sea sick folk. She felt a bit guilty, too.

That's when the captain made his presence known.

"Alright, you four come with me," the captain of the ship commanded.

Quino waited until Gon stopped helping the man he was currently helping. She followed the captain out of the room, Gon, a man in a business suit, and a blond boy wearing a strange blue outfit.

Eventually the captain opened a door, allowing the four of them to go into the room. He walked into the room and closed the door.

"Alright, tell me your names," the captain said.

"I'm Gon!"

Quino glanced at Gon, glanced at the two beside him, then stared at the captain. "I'm Quino, sir."

"I'm Kurapika," the blond boy said.

"Leorio," the tall man in the business suit said.

Nodding his head, the captain then asked, "Why do you want to become Hunters?"

Quino restrained the panic that threatened to surface.

I don't have any intention on becoming a Hunter. Well, that was earlier. But maybe it would do some good. A Hunter License would make me be able to get to places I wouldn't normally be able to. I doubt Mom would be able to get to those areas but I've heard a Hunter License kind of functions like a credit card or something. It would be nice if I could simply pay to get on the ships that I wanted to get on. Though I don't know how the Hunter Association can keep up with all that spending. There's not many Hunters though, is there?

"My dad's a Hunter. I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so much," Gon said, pulling Quino back to reality.

"Hey, kid! Don't answer his question!"

Quino narrowed her burgundy eyes at the man in the business suit, Leorio. She didn't like the way he was talking to Gon.

"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" Gon asked, looking confused.

Leorio only sighed, opening his mouth to possibly spiel about whatever he thought about the situation.

"I want to become a Hunter to find my mom," Quino said, cutting off Leorio before he could say anything. "Half a year ago, she basically disappeared without a trace. I've been searching for her ever since, but I think I'll need to become a Hunter to effectively look for her."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that he was real angry at her.

"What? I can't tell him why I'm here, either? What's it to you, anyway? I can say whatever I want, can't I?" She noticed with much pleasure that this made Leorio even more angry. Unfortunately, Gon looked at her in concern.

I only wanted to make Leorio back off, but I only ended up making Gon concerned and Leorio even more upset. Well, I _did_ like upsetting Leorio.

"Whatever, I don't want to reveal why I'm here," Leorio said with an angry expression still on his face.

"I agree with Leorio," the blond boy, Kurapika, said.

Really? He finally speaks and it's something as boring as 'I agree with Leorio'? What's so bad about revealing why we're here? Well, whatever. They can do whatever they want. I don't really care about what they do anyway. And they better stay away from Gon and not influence his decisions. He can make his own decisions and face whatever consequences come from them. That's how people _learn_.

Quino listened to Kurapika continue on with his monologue, ignoring Leorio just as much as everyone else in the room. It was silent after Kurapika was done with his speech.

The captain, however, broke that silence as he said, "Tell the examination board that we've got two more dropouts."

Both Kurapika and Leorio looked surprised.

"Still haven't figured it out, huh? The Hunter Examination has already begun."

Quino was just as surprised as Kurapika and Leorio. Gon, she had noticed, didn't look surprised one bit.

Did he somehow know? Why didn't he tell me?

She would be lying if she claimed she wasn't hurt by Gon's not telling her that fact.

He doesn't seem like the lying type, though. Ah, what am I doing? There's more important things than being hurt over something that may or may not have actually happened.

"There's a lot of Hunter wannabes out there and the examiners don't have the time or resources to review all of them. So they hire people like us. I've already notified the board that all of the other passengers on this ship had to withdraw. If they couldn't even handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Exam. Basically, you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you," the captain informed.

So this is like the preliminary round of the Hunter Exam? The actual Hunter Exam hasn't started yet. But I kind of already said I wanted to be a Hunter.

That's when Kurapika stated why he was taking the Hunter Exam. He wanted revenge, simply put. The Phantom Troupe had eliminated Kurapika's clan. Kurapika sought vengeance.

"The Phantom Troupe? They're a Class-A bounty. Even the most seasoned Hunters can't touch them. Going after them would be suicide," the captain stated.

I've heard of the Phantom Troupe before. They were a bunch of vicious criminals. Thieves, to be specific, but they were also bandits. Some people have even called them demons. They were feared, that much was true. Another alias they go under is the Spider. Probably because each of them has a tattoo of a spider somewhere on their body. At least, that's what I've heard. I hope I never run into one of those Spiders.

"Hey, why do you want to be a Hunter, Leorio?"

Quino glanced at Gon and looked up at Leorio.

That's a good question. And yet, I feel like I know where this may be heading...

"Me? Well, I want money. Money can get you everything!" Leorio said, then went off on a tangent that Quino would've liked to ignore.

Fortunately, Kurapika quickly made a comment that made Leorio angry again. But unlike all the other times, Leorio had basically declared war on Kurapika with a comment of his own.

Quino watched as they both exited outside the ship.

Don't they realize we're still in the middle of a storm?

Glancing between Gon and the door that Leorio and Kurapika left, Quino wasn't sure if she should stay or go after them.

"Just let them go," Gon said, staring at the door Leorio and Kurapika had just left. "Aunt Mito once told me if you want to get to understand someone, you need to make an effort to know learn why they're angry."

Because what makes you angry and why it does says a lot about your character, Quino thought, remembering a similar lesson she was taught by her mom.

"Captain! Look!"

Gon and Quino looked at where the sailor at the helm was pointing at, Quino recognizing instantly what kind of danger they were in.

It was a waterspout heading directly their way.

If this ship doesn't get redirected in time, Quino thought, this ship will sink.

The captain gave quick orders, telling the sailors to lower the sails. Gon and Quino volunteered and they ran outside to help the sailors out with lowering the sails.

Fortunately, Quino had more upper body strength than lower. She pulled the rope connected to the sails with much ease. The sailors would've been surprised if they weren't busy with saving their lives.

Out of the corner of her eye, Quino could see Leorio and Kurapika fighting. She hoped they would learn their lesson after this.

Quino was distracted by a sailor who was thrown into the sky when he had let go of the rope he was pulling on. He was headed straight toward the sea. Quino wasn't sure what to do, but she felt better when she saw Leorio and Kurapika stop their fight to catch the man before he was thrown into the sea. But she almost had a panic attack when she witnessed Gon bolt over to them and unceremoniously jumped off the ship. The sailor was saved, but she was still upset.

Gon is so reckless! How could he just jump off the ship like that? He's such an idiot! What if he died? The first friend I've ever made around my age could've died!

When the storm had passed, Quino had immediately gone to Gon and dragged him off to the side. She stared into his brown eyes, and she noticed that he was confused.

"Do you know why I'm angry?"

Gon simply shook his head, not looking phased by her anger.

"You could've died! Do you know how much that would've hurt me? I finally made a friend and they go and die on me! What kind of friend does that?"

"But I didn't die. Leorio and Kurapika caught me," Gon said with confidence, as if that made all the sense in the world.

However, Quino didn't understand his logic at all.

"What if they were too busy with their fight? What if they didn't catch you just in the nick of time?"

"I knew they would've," Gon defended.

Quino shook her head, feeling the tears that threatened to surface. "You're such an idiot! Don't you get it?"

"I'm sorry I worried you, but I needed to save Katsuo," Gon said with a frown.

She was about to reply with something insulting to the poor sailor, but she stopped.

He was doing the right thing. Don't be selfish. People can do whatever they want. And he chose to say that sailor. What if he didn't help that sailor? He probably would've felt really guilty. I would have, too. Heck, I'm worse. I didn't even go to help. I just stayed with the other sailors and helped them, Quino thought dejectedly.

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you like this, Gon. I was scared, anxious. But I'm being selfish right now. Just... please don't be so reckless next time. Or at least _tell_ me what you're about to do. I really was about to have a panic attack, you know," Quino confessed.

Gon smiled and said, "Okay! Let's go!"

He grabbed onto Quino's wrist and proceeded to drag her over to where Leorio and Kurapika were at.

When they got there, and Gon had let go of Quino, both Leorio and Kurapika scolded him for being so reckless.

Looks like they care just as much, Quino thought with a smile. I guess these two are alright.

After they were done scolding Gon, the sailor who was caught before he had ended up as shark bait had come over and thanked them all. Quino didn't feel like she deserved any gratitude. He shortly ran off after giving his gratitude.

Then the captain of the ship, who gave out a laugh that almost made Quino jump in fright, had come out to tell them they had all passed and he would take them to the port closes to the exam site. While Quino had mixed feelings about her pass, Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon celebrated.

"Hey, little girl, come with me," the captain called.

Feeling a little suspicious, Quino followed after the captain.

"So, you want to become a Hunter, stowaway?"

His question hit Quino like a bucket of ice cold water.

Of course he knew. Like I could get into the Hunter Exam without actually registering for it.

"I-I do. Becoming a Hunter would really help me with finding my mother," Quino said.

"Who's your mother?"

Quino pursed her lips and glared at the captain. "Does it matter. I won't be able to participate in the Hunter Exam, after all."

"Or maybe you can. There's a way. I might be willing to pull some strings. But you've got to tell me who your mother is," the captain said.

He would really help me out here? As long as I answer his questions?

Quino couldn't help but feel nervous. "My adoptive mother's name is Lady Fersel. I don't know my real mom. It's the same with my dad. As far as I'm concerned, though, Lady is my true mother."

"Sir," a sailor called out to the captain. Stopping by the captain, Quino noticed that he had a camera in his hands.

"As you noticed, we're going to take a picture of you," the captain said.

"Do I have to?"

Quino was met by silence.

"1, 2, 3," the sailor counted, taking Quino's picture.

"Well, that's all. You can go now," the captain said, dismissing her.

Quino nodded and took off, leaving the captain and the sailor behind.

"She might be his granddaughter," the captain muttered, going back to managing the helm.

"What was that, sir?"

"Man the helm," the captain said, walking away from the helm and his responsibilities.

* * *

Hello everybody!

I'm alive! And this fanfic is not dead, I swear! I've just been so busy lately. Just when life is peaceful and you've got time on your hands, you suddenly don't have any time on your hands. Drives me nuts sometimes.

**Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. Almost forgot this disclaimer.**

This chapter is extra long, so hopefully it makes up for the long wait (if it doesn't, I don't blame you). And, like always, favorite, follow, and review to your hearts content. Well, you can only favorite and follow once... but whatever. I recommend following though, my schedule has been hectic these days.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to await for more! Bye bye!


	6. Old x Partners x in Crime

Primna looked down at the phone she had just gotten. It looked black and plain but Primna was content with it. She wasn't those types who needed fancy stuff, she just needed things to work the way they're supposed to.

Should I call Kuriya back? She seemed out of breath, like she was stressed.

Primna continued to stare at the phone, her face set in deep concentration.

It wouldn't hurt to call, right? I could just text her, right? Nah, she usually sends these long stupid text messages that make no sense. She makes better sense when I call her.

With hesitancy, Primna inputted Kuriya's phone number. She waited, growing more and more worried with each ring. Just as she was about to hang up, Kuriya surprisingly answered.

"Hey, Kuriya, it's me," Primna said.

"Ah, have you called to ask where you are again? I'm afraid I still don't know. I did offer to put a tracking device on you but you didn't seem to appreciate the thought back then."

Primna rolled her eyes, already feeling annoyed. "Stop with your airy, witty riddles."

"Riddles? Whenever had I uttered a riddle? I'm simply asking my dear, old partner in crime if she needs help locating herself. Is that wrong of me?"

"What's wrong is your freaking brain! Just speak English!"

"English? Don't you mean Stupid?"

Primna growled, eliciting a chuckle on the other line.

"Have you gotten a dog? It's growling is quite adorable," Kuriya said, though Primna could tell that she was smirking.

"Funny. Here I thought that maybe I should call you 'cause you sounded really stressed but I'm starting to regret even caring," Primna said with a scowl.

Kuriya stated immediately, "Worried? There's nothing to worry about."

That was quick on the trigger. She _was_ stressed, Primna thought with a frown.

"So, what's the highlight of your bad day?"

Primna heard a sigh from the other line.

"As I've told you, there's nothing to worry about. Everything's fine."

She didn't buy it for a second. "Look, you're not fooling me. I know you enough to know you've had a stressful day. I wanna know. Who else can you vent your frustrations to, anyway?"

"My father," Kuriya quickly stated.

"Really? Your dad? I'm sure he's thrilled about that," Primna said sarcastically.

"Fine! My... teddy bear," Kuriya said so quietly that Primna almost didn't hear it.

"You still have that thing?" Primna was trying her hardest not to snicker.

"Yes, I do. Dr. Oscar Wilhelm Velasquez VIII is a prized possession of mine. Besides, who are you to laugh about my teddy bear when you carry a bag of diapers and pacifiers everywhere you go?"

Primna's face instantly turned scarlet. "Okay, look, taking care of kids is a habit. I did that practically all my life. They're obviously not adult diapers, you can plainly see that."

"Perhaps, but it's still definitely creepy. Much more creepy than me still displaying Dr. Oscar Wilhelm Velasquez VIII within the safe confines of my apartment on my nightstand," Kuriya said confidently.

"Okay, fine. I get it. You keep your creepy frankenstein teddy bear to yourself and I'll carry my 'Baby Emergency Kit' on me. Now, how was your day and what did you have to deal with?"

"Do I really have to talk about this? I'd rather not."

Primna shrugged and said, "You gotta get stuff like this off your chest somehow. I doubt Daddy Dearest is happy about you venting to him. You told him when you branched out that you were going to have a strictly professional relationship with him. So speak."

"Well, I was meeting a client of mine. My client was being followed. A bomb went off, killing my client and incapacitating me. They tied me to a chair and interrogated me, which wasn't entertaining in the least. I did escape, but the jenny my client had on him was all taken by my interrogators. Which happened to be the mafia. And, well, I _did_ vent to my father after the event. He irritated me. And I'm stuck in this town for one more day. I'm getting a katana. My previous one is either buried underneath rubble from the explosion of that bomb or the mafia has it. I really liked that blade."

"Huh, sounds like a bust. Your client must've been stupid to be followed so easily like that. So, since I'm out of my homeland, am I going to have to run errands for you again?"

"Only if you need jenny. Do you need a helping hand, my dearest left hand?"

"Left hand? That a demotion? I thought I was your right?"

Kuriya chuckled, then said, "Well, I have a prospective right hand in mind. We'll see where it goes. Left hand, in your point of view, means that you do more 'dirty work'. Gotta curve that bloodlust somehow, right, my lovely beast?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Gotta go, though. The Hunter Exam's not gonna wait for me," Primna said, hanging up.

That went pretty well, she thought as she pocketed her phone.

She looked up at the boarding schedules, wondering what airplane she should take. Zaban City was a well-known city, so there were a handful of airplanes that stopped there.

I probably should get there early.

Skimming the list, she spotted a flight that appealed to her.

"10:30 it is," Primna muttered.

Now how do I pay for it?

She shrugged and pulled her phone back out. She texted Kuriya that she wanted to board the 10:30 AM flight to Zaban City and that she would need a ticket for it. After a few seconds, she got a reply.

_I actually have something that needs to be picked up. A client dropped off 1300 jennies. It's in Motel Merce, Room 203, stored in a ziplock bag and taped underneath the sink in the cabinet. Of course, you'll have to get in yourself but I'm sure you can manage that. You've done much more challenging things. Oh, and I'll make sure your ticket gets sent to you soon. Just make sure you have a printer available._

Primna put her phone back in her pant pocket.

Next stop is the library.

She exited the airline center and walked toward the east. Primna had walked around the entire city trying to look for a payphone. She basically knew the city like the back of her hand. Well, at least where everything was.

Eventually she arrived at the library, and she stepped inside to find out that hardly anyone was in it. Taking a seat at one of the computers, she logged into her email account and proceeded to print out the ticket that she had just gotten. Then she logged out of her email account, deleted history (an old habit of hers), and grabbed the flight ticket from the printer.

Now I have to wait until tomorrow. What should I do now? I'm practically broke.

Primna ended up sitting at a mall, watching people come and go.

This is so boring. Where's all the action at? At least back at home I could take a nice walk and take down a pack of monsters while I'm at it. But there's nothing to do out here.

She also didn't have enough money to get a room at a hotel or motel. She doubted anyone would let her crash on their couch. Who would let a total stranger in their house?

With a heavy sigh, she wrenched her phone out of her pocket and started texting. Primna got a reply soon after.

_Well, I could just let you sleep in the streets. You're a tough girl. But... that's kind of cruel, considering all of my wealth. Hotel Emner, Room 35. Make yourself at home until your flight tomorrow._

I really hate that I have to be this dependent on her, Primna thought. Once I get a Hunter License, I won't need to be dependent on her anymore. Primna cracked a smile at the thought. I'll be my own person after getting my license. Though she's technically my friend, so I would help her out if she was in deep trouble. Or needed to bash in a few skulls.

Primna made her way over to the Hotel Emner.

"Name, please," the receptionist said.

"I've got a booked reservation for Room 35," Primna said.

"Ah, Primrose."

She had the urge to punch the receptionist. And then call Kuriya and tell her she'll be dead in five days.

"Yes, that's me," Primna said with a forced smile.

"Here's the keys. I hope you have a lovely day at Hotel Emner."

She grabbed the keys from the receptionist and made her way to the room. She locked the door behind her and threw herself on the bed.

This bed is really comfortable. But I stink.

Getting up from the bed hesitantly, she dragged herself to the bathroom.

I've missed showers, Primna thought as she prepared to bathe herself.

She sighed under the warm water, though a part of her wanted to have ice cold water. It would give her a feeling of familiarity, though the freezing cold baths that she took in the Dark Continent won't be missed.

After she was done with her shower, she stepped out and dried herself off. She stared at the foggy mirrors for a little bit. Raising her index finger, she drew a Forscythe Plant that had almost swallowed her whole when she was about five. She remembered being lured in by the bright pink petals, the light green willowy vines, the suspicious dark red soil around it that she hadn't paid much attention to, and then the razors for teeth that the plant had as it used its vines to grab ahold of her and slowly bring her down into its bloody mouth. Fortunately her father had saved her in time. Only to insult her by calling her weak and hopeless. Even though he was right, five-year-old Primna didn't take those insults well.

Not like I'd ever let _His_ words affect me again, Primna thought with a scowl as she wiped her hand over her drawing.

Glancing at her tribal clothes on the floor, she came to two conclusions: one, she would need new clothes; two, she was in the mood to sleep without clothes on tonight.

Scooping up her dirty clothes, she brought them into the bedroom only to dump them on floor next to the queen bed. She threw herself onto the bed, not even bothering to climb under the blanket and sheet.

It's comfortable enough in here as it is. I don't need to suffocate myself.

Her verdant green eyes drooped shut, her body slowly relaxing itself after a long day of walking throughout the city.

Dreams of the children she had left behind being devoured by a horde of the monsters that reside on the Dark Continent set the pace for an unsettling night.

XXX

Primna looked outside the window and watched as the world got smaller and smaller. She couldn't even see houses anymore. That thought made her just a _little_ terrified.

If I coated my entire body in nen, would I survive that fall? Or would I be a pancake still?

She didn't know the answer, and she honestly didn't want to find out. The airplane was moving too slow, in her opinion. With a huff, Primna crossed her arms across her chest and closed her eyes.

Might as well try to get some sleep.

"Did you hear that the Mist Broker broke into Citadel Natural?"

This tidbit of information reeled in Primna's attention. She listened in closely, hoping to find out some more information.

"Really? Do you know why?"

"Apparently the place had 80000 jennies sitting in their basement. Most of the employees didn't even know it was there. Such a waste."

"That sounds really suspicious to me. All that jenny, hiding right under everybody's noses. I wonder what that pharmaceutical place was planning on doing with all of it."

"Yeah, that's true. Say, did you hear about that recent diet?"

Primna chose to tune out the rest of the conversation.

80000 jennies? I guess that is a decent amount. Well, knowing Kuriya, she'd probably invest all of that in a future project of hers. Maybe make some more connections. Either way, that'll probably hit Citadel Natural pretty hard. Especially if Kuriya leaves evidence.

She leaned back on her seat and promptly snoozed.

XXX

"Finally," Primna muttered under her breath.

I officially hate airplanes.

Though she felt relieved to know she was now in Zaban City. A part of her wanted to walk around and see if she could find some cheap and stylish clothes.

After I retrieve the jenny, though.

Pulling out her phone, she found the motel that she needed to stop by first. Motel Merce.

Fortunately, she wasn't far away from it. Within a few minutes, Primna had reached her destination. Now she would have to figure out how to retrieve the money without: one, killing anybody; two, coming and going in without anybody noticing; three, leaving any kind of evidence.

Alright, maybe a quick survey of the place wouldn't be bad.

She scanned her surroundings, spotting her first obstacle: a high iron gate. Primna looked around closely to see if there were any cameras around. Two were spotted, one near the entrance of the door that had a view of the gate and another close to the gate. Seeing no one around to witness, she inconspicuously took out a needle from her hidden pocket inside her tribal garment, coated it with nen, and threw the needle with great strength at the camera by the door. Swiftly picking out the needle in the camera, she threw it at the camera by the gate, making sure it was coated with nen again. When the camera went out, Primna yanked the needle out and surveyed the area around the gate. She spotted yet another camera, and she quickly took it out. Knowing she had little time before the police get there, she yanked the needle out of the camera she had just incapacitated and quickly scanned the tall building that housed all the rooms. Analyzing the pattern of the room numbers, Primna concluded that she would need to reach the other side, find the room, and figure out how to get inside without causing a scene.

Seeing a person run around the place searching for a room would look suspicious. I should keep it on the down low, go in calm.

Willing her heart beat to slow down, Primna walked around to the other side of the tall single building. As she rounded the corner, she noticed two things: one, Room 203 was on the second floor; two, there was a cleaning lady who _happened_ to be next door in Room 202.

The room next door was wide open, a gray cart filled with cleaning supplies situated on it positioned right next to the open room. But Primna spotted a ring of keys on the cart and she knew what she had to do.

Acting calm and collected, she made her way to the second floor of the tall building. She glanced at the front of the property, finding that there weren't any policemen just yet. Her verdant green eyes immediately took in the gray cart with the ring of keys lying there. The cleaning lady was still inside the neighboring room.

One minute. I need to get that key, get into the room, find the jenny, grab it, lock the door, and put the keys back on the cart, Primna thought.

She took a silent deep breath and enacted her plan.

With much practice, she stealthy grabbed the keys and scanned the keys for the right one. Fortunately, she found it within a few seconds and unlocked Room 203. Entering into the room, she swiftly but silently made her way into the bathroom. She opened the cupboard under the sink, cringing when it opened with a creak.

I need to wrap this up, _now_.

Wrenching the plastic bag filled with jenny, Primna stuck it in her hidden pocket inside her tribal garment. She quickly shut the cupboard, careful to not slam it, and quickly got out of Room 203. Grabbing the key for the room, Primna locked Room 203 and placed the keys on the cart with urgency.

There's no way the lady hasn't heard _any_ of this, she thought with a scowl.

Primna glanced at the front of the property, noting that there were now policemen filing onto the property. With no other idea in mind, she coated her legs with nen and jumped off from the 2nd story. She landed roughly, but the nen coated around her legs had managed to protect her from most of the fall. Primna ran away from the scene, hoping that she'd be able get away without being caught.

Thankfully, no one saw her.

When she was far enough from the motel, she stopped in an alleyway and took out her phone. The receiver picked up the phone almost immediately.

"Kuriya, I got the jenny. Also, I need new clothes. Kinda stick out a bit with my tribal garments," Primna said with a scowl.

"Hmm, that certainly does seem like a problem. Tell you what, it's only 1300 jenny so why don't you use it to buy clothes."

Primna scoffed and asked, "You don't need this jenny?"

"Not as much as you do. Think of it as a 'welcome back' gift from me."

With a sigh, she responded, "Fine, Kuriya. Thanks."

Before Kuriya could say anything back, Primna hung up.

Alright, time to get some new clothes and head on to Dolle Harbor.

* * *

Hello everybody!

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter****.**

Another chapter has been completed! I know this remastered fanfic has been going a bit slowly, but my intent is to have a bit of background and insight into who my OCs are before throwing the gang (Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua) into the mix. That and it gives me time to really get a solid understanding of the gang themselves (because I'm writing scenes of them as practice which may or may not get to be in this fanfic).

So far, I would like to address a couple things. First, I made the mistake of making Quino older and her birthday earlier. Her birthday isn't until September (which isn't close right now in this fanfic) and she's 11. Not 12.

I would go over the other changes I've made, but that's for people who've read the original fanfic to know. So if you are curious then you can read the original fanfic, Bound Paths (unless I've took it down which I haven't at this point in time).

Anyway, follow, favorite, and review to your heart's content. I hope you liked this chapter and are eager for the next! Bye bye~


	7. A Spider x That Craves x Chocolate

She looked across the street and found a few homeless people in the alleyway. At least, they looked like they were homeless to her.

Whipping out her phone, a milky white thumb typed out a message.

_Are you there? I know you like to get yourself into trouble but I specifically told you that you must at least text me once a day. It was our deal. You get out and I help you in, you contact me and give me updates about what you're up to._

She waited there, hoping that she would receive at least a text back. But after five minutes, she still got nothing.

Her blue gray eyes gazed up at the bright blue sky, the heat beating down on her and making her feel unbearably hot. She refused to take her black trench coat off, though. And her compression vest wasn't helping her cool off.

Kuriya knew she needed to get out of the blistering sun's heat.

What is taking her so long to respond? Is she ignoring me? No, she jumps at the chance to chat with me. This is worrisome.

"Hey, excuse me, but what's a hot—"

She immediately drew out her newly made katana, bringing the weapon to the grungy man's throat. "I don't have time to waste with you. Move or I'll move you."

Taking the hint that she wasn't in the mood, the man moved quickly out of the way.

Without hesitation, she sheathed her katana and swiftly made her way passed the man who had tried to harass her.

I can't just stand around and try to contact Malli. I need to get to the Hunter Exam. I'll be able to broaden my network and connections, not to mention the list of clientele. I could potentially rake up the pricing as well, since I'm a certified Hunter and am able to access areas that the public wouldn't be able to enter. I hope Malli hasn't gotten herself into any trouble.

Kuriya hurried over to the marketplace, not caring to see the sights.

This should be going toward the Hunter Exam. It's a small cafe but it has an elevator that goes down to a tunnel where the First Phase should be held. There is still some time left but I'm more comfortable being early than late.

She finally made it out of the crowd after a few minutes, her body sweating more than she'd liked.

No, I'm still okay. I don't have to change out. The vest isn't too tight on me anyway, so a little exercise and crowding won't bother me. I'll have to be extra cautious during the exam, though.

Her blue gray eyes zeroed in on the little cafe that she had seen when she was investigating where the next Hunter Exam would be located.

All you have to do is say the correct phrases, Kuriya reminded herself as she entered the little hole-in-the-wall.

"Hello and welcome! What would you like to have today?"

She looked at the man who had addressed her and asked, "May I take the back room?" Upon asking, the man's eyes turned sharp, something that Kuriya had noticed.

"What will you have?"

Remembering what she had discovered, she said, "The steak combo that opens my eyes to the light."

"For how many?"

"One, only me," Kuriya said immediately.

"How would you like it?"

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Grilled under a low flame until cooked."

"Go right in," the man said, going back to whatever he was doing earlier.

Kuriya didn't really care what he was doing. She quickly went down the hall and proceeded to check all the rooms until she had found a single round table and a single chair. Recognizing the room, she entered it and closed the door behind her. She took a seat on the lone chair and took out her phone again.

Nothing. Did Malli lose her phone? Did she accidentally destroy it? That girl is almost as reckless as Primna. No, she's even more reckless because she _seeks_ danger. At least Primna knows when to back down, but Malli? Retreating isn't in her vocabulary. I'll have to instruct her on what that is when the opportunity presents itself.

She felt the room start to descend, her heartbeat calm and steady. Kuriya didn't fear what she would meet when she had fully descended down into the tunnel. From experience, Kuriya knew that most of the people taking the Hunter Exam weren't as strong as she was. However, she knew that there were potentially a few dangerous people taking the exam and that she shouldn't take anyone there lightly anyway. It wouldn't due to be blind sighted and taken out by someone weak just because her hubris was high.

The room had finally stopped, signaling Kuriya that she was now at the bottom. Her blue gray eyes watched as one of the walls in the room opened up, revealing a dark tunnel with several people inside.

So, this is it. Only a few here could prove a challenge to me. Most of these applicants are cannon fodder who think they have what it takes. They really are fools. Well, they have the right to throw their lives away if they want. I don't want to waste my time trying to dissuade them, anyway.

"Hello. Please take this tag."

Kuriya looked down at the strange green creature in a business suit and noticed the tag it held in its hand. Sensing no danger or ill intent, she took the tag and read the number on it: 296.

Hmm, a bit later than I would have liked. I guess it doesn't really matter, though. A number is simply a number.

She clipped the tag onto the left side of her chest. Her blue gray eyes scanned all the people in the room and found herself disappointed.

Hopefully there'll be more challenging people coming. It's a shame most of these applicants are weak. Though...

Kuriya closed her eyes, sensing all the individuals who had their nen nodes opened. A total of seven. But to her, only three were worth mentioning. Now that she thought of it, all three of those powerful nen signatures felt familiar. Opening her eyes, she stalked toward one of the familiar nen signatures.

When she was close enough, she stared toward the direction she felt the signature and saw someone she had never seen before. He sported a blue mohawk, had what looked to be yellow needles in his head, and really long and sharp nails. If Kuriya wasn't as calm and confident as she was, she would've felt creeped out by the mere sight of him.

I've never met this man, yet his nen signature is familiar. None of this makes sense, Kuriya thought as she pondered about the strange man. Hmm, there's no point in standing around here and wondering where I could have possibly met this man. For all I know he could've been a previous client of mine.

Deciding to move on, Kuriya went toward another nen signature that she had felt was familiar. It didn't take her long to spot red hair. In fact, she knew immediately who it was upon getting close enough to see his outfit.

Even though he always wears a different outfit every time I run into him, there's no mistaking him. Hisoka Morow. What is he doing here? None of these applicants show much potential, I doubt he'd be entertained during this exam. Of course, that might have changed now that I'm here...

Not wanting to let Hisoka notice her, Kuriya decided to leave immediately and head to that other familiar nen signature.

"Hey, do you want a Lemon Pop? They're really sour! Oh, I've got an Atomic Punch, too. Wait! Do you like sweet stuff instead? I've got a Ruvian Bar. The sweetest chocolate in the world! Or do you want sweet candy?"

Kuriya watched as a boy with white hair inspected the snacks that a girl with magenta hair was offering. His blue eyes made him seem innocent, but Kuriya had a sneaking suspicion he was far from it. Nothing is as innocent as it seems at first glance.

The boy with white hair grabbed the Ruvian Bar out of the girl's hand and unwrapped the piece of chocolate from the yellow packaging.

"Oh! So you have a sweet tooth," the girl with magenta hair stated with a giggle.

That girl. That hair. It couldn't be, could it?

"Malli?" Kuriya asked, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

The girl turned around and Kuriya saw the face of the one person who she had been unable to get into contact with since three days ago.

"Hi, Kuri!"

What is she doing here? Does she realize what kind of danger she is in?

"Mal, what are you doing here? Do you realize where you are?"

Malli frowned and tilted her head, not understanding what her friend was getting at.

With a silent sigh, Kuriya said, "This is the Hunter Exam."

It took a second for Kuriya's explanation to make sense to her, but when it finally registered her mouth formed an 'o'.

"Huh. That explains all these people here. Oh! Killua," Malli said, catching the boy's attention, "meet my bestest friend! This is Kuriya. Kuri, this is my new friend, Killua."

Kuriya watched as the boy's eyes narrowed a fraction of a second before turning back into that innocent gaze. She recognized that sliver of emotion he had portrayed just then: suspicion. She knew she looked dangerous, she's met many people who were intimidated by her simply from the way she carried herself. Though Kuriya felt that this boy wasn't exactly intimidated by her.

Hmm, what an interesting child.

"A new friend? Well, the more the merrier, I suppose," Kuriya said, her voice not betraying any of her opinions on the encounter.

"Yeah," was all Killua said.

"Kuri, do you want a Ruvian Bar, too? I packed a lot just in case I bumped into you!" Malli said, her voice practically echoing in the dark tunnel.

"I'm glad we could skip the bumping into and go straight to the delicacy," Kuriya retorted as she extended a hand.

Malli put the chocolate bar into her best friend's hand, said friend immediately unwrapping the intensely sweet treat.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was sweet," Killua commented. Kuriya noted that he looked torn between liking and disliking the chocolate.

"It's okay if you don't like it. The chocolate is _really_ sweet and not a lot of people can handle it. Kuri has a big sweet tooth, though, so she _loves_ it!"

Killua raised an eyebrow at Kuriya's death glare at Malli.

This girl talks too much, Kuriya thought as Malli continued to spew out things that Kuriya would prefer nobody know about her.

"Enough," Kuriya commanded with finality, promptly making her friend stop talking.

"Haha, did I talk too much again?"

"You've the tendency to talk about things that I'd rather keep secret," Kuriya quipped, making Malli's shoulders slump.

"Sorry, Kuri. I'll try to not talk so much next time. I'm just really happy to have a new friend!" However, she quickly got over her disappointment toward herself and turned her attention to Killua. "Oh, speaking of which, why did you come to take the Hunter Exam?"

Ever the conversationalist, Kuriya thought with amusement.

It was this moment that Kuriya decided to simply watch Malli and Killua interact.

Despite the boy's caution, Malli seems to have a knack at lowering a person's guard. She's friendly, though at times overly so, and she is incredibly animated and expressive. Expressive in the sense that she can easily fool a target if necessary. Innocent, yet far from it. Naive, but not quite. Yes, she would make a perfect right hand. When she's old enough and better at nen, of course.

"Kuri, how come you're taking the Hunter Exam?"

She looked into Malli's bright, almost inhuman, yellow eyes. Then she glanced at Killua, taking note on how he looked like he was trying to hide the fact that he wanted the information as well. Unlike Malli, however, it wasn't out of curiosity.

"Well, to put it simply, I wish to gain access to places I am unable to go to at this point in time. But even more mysterious is why you are here. I vaguely remember a deal between us involving not throwing yourself unnecessarily in harm's way."

Malli gave a grin to Kuriya and said, "I guessed the password to get here but I didn't get my steak. I'm still hungry even though I ate a few Lemon Pops."

Of course. Only Malli could miraculously enter the Hunter Exam on accident, Kuriya thought gravely.

"How unfortunate," was all Kuriya said.

"I know, right?! I mean, I got to Zaban City and I was _starving_. And then I found this little restaurant—"

"It's a cafe, actually."

"—And I saw all the food on the menu and thought, 'This place is dirt cheap! Everything sounds _amazing_—"

"Word for word, I imagine."

"—And I asked if there was a back room that I could eat in—"

"The first part of the password."

"—And he didn't really say yes or no, just a 'What would you like?'—"

"Hmm, that _is_ quite odd."

"—And then I said that I wanted a steak that opened my eyes to the light. Or something like that. I was kinda delirious—"

"Hmm, you don't say."

"—And he asked me for how many people. It was just me, I didn't know why he asked when it's obvious it was only just me there—"

"I could think of a few reasons why."

"—And then he asked how I would like it and I told him how I liked most of my steaks cooked—"

"Grilled under a low flame until cooked, coincidentally."

"—And then he said to just go to the back room. Let myself in, get comfortable, that stuff—"

"You really love your 'and's, don't you?"

"—And I found the room, sat on the chair, got comfortable, waited for my steak. But it never came—"

"Oh, the tragedy."

"—Then the room started to descend! I didn't know what the heck was happening! Before you know it, the room stopped. And then—"

"One of the room's walls opened up to reveal a secret underground tunnel full of tough, burly men?"

"Exactly, Kuri! Eh, well, I don't know if I'd call these guys 'big, tough burly men'. More like... wimps who think they're tough. Yeah, that!"

Kuriya inwardly sighed, knowing that the 'wimps who think they're tough' had most likely heard that. Unless everyone had grown deaf within the few minutes she had been down here.

Meanwhile, Killua was speechless. Not to mention his eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Is she always like that?" Killua whispered to Kuriya.

Kuriya turned her attention toward the white-haired boy and said, "Mostly. She's much more quiet when I remind her how loud she is."

"Hey, Killua, let's play a game!"

"What kind of game?" Killua asked almost wearily. At least, he tried to hide it. Kuriya could tell right away that he would rather take his chances with herself than Malli.

Feared for an entirely different reason, Kuriya thought, a giggle escaping past her lips.

Killua glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering why she giggled. However, his attention was soon taken back by Malli's overenthusiastic body language.

"Let's play blackjack! The loser has to give up 100 jenny!"

Kuriya raised an eyebrow and Killua looked dumbfounded.

"Malli, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but gambling is illegal for minors," Kuriya said.

This did not dissuade Malli.

"Who cares?! It's just 100 jenny."

"And as your pseudo guardian for the time being, I will not have this potentially be on your track record. I need your record to be as clean as possible," Kuriya stated with a chuckle.

"Oh. Well, I guess we can just play blackjack. StripJack?"

"Malli," Kuriya warned.

"Jack n' 21."

"Alcohol is illegal for minors."

"ToD Blackjack?"

"I have a feeling you'll either ask things that are too personal or dare Killua something highly inappropriate."

"Hmm. How about-"

Kuriya sighed deeply, stopping Malli from questioning her. "Just normal blackjack."

With a huff, Malli said, "Okay, fine. We'll just play simple blackjack."

"And I'll supervise to make sure you don't turn this game of blackjack into something more complicated," Kuriya informed the two children.

Killua caught the two cards that were suddenly thrown at him.

"Be aware that you may not win. Malli is exceptionally good at blackjack, despite it mostly being a game of luck," Kuriya warned.

While he felt like placing a bet just to prove Kuriya wrong, a part of him felt relieved to know that he won't have to owe Malli anything if he lost.

"Alright. Hit or stand?"

Killua looked down at one of the two cards on the floor. The first card was faced down, the second faced up. He inspected the card that was facing up. Three of Diamonds. He thought about the possibilities, about what the other card he had most likely was. He glanced at Malli's card that was face up, noting that it was a jack. Jack of Spades.

"Hit," he said.

With an unnerving grin, Malli gave him a card, face down.

He grabbed the card, turned it over, and inspected it. Six of Clubs.

"I'll stand," Malli said cheerfully. "Are you ready? Or do you want to hit one more time?"

"I'm done," Killua said, feeling a little bit nervous.

She giggled and revealed her faced down card. Nine of Diamonds. With her Nine of Diamonds and Jack of Spades, she had a total of 19.

Willing himself to calm down- after all, it's just a game of blackjack- Killua flipped over his faced down card and took in the card with bated breath. Seven of Spades. A total of 16.

"Looks like I win this round!" Malli shouted enthusiastically.

Oddly enough, this simple game of blackjack brought over a few of the other Hunter Exam applicants to watch the two children play against each other.

While Malli practically glowed with joy from the attention, Killua didn't like the attention they were getting very much.

Kuriya simply watched the two, wondering if Killua would win at least one round.

* * *

Hello, everybody!

Another chapter done! Isn't this great? Well, I mean the fact I've updated again this week. Although I bet the chapter was great, too!

Oh, and before I forget: **I don't own Hunter x Hunter. Also, doing this on a phone is both annoying and pleasant.**

So, I may start a trend of updating Monday and Wednesday nights. But knowing me, I could just be jinxing myself and now it won't happen! (Hope that that isn't the case!)

Well, I hope you like this chapter and are eager for more. Favorite, follow, and review to your heart's content. See you all next week, I guess. Bye bye~


	8. The x Lone x Cedar Tree

Quino was relieved when the ship had finally reached Dolle Harbor. Usually she would feel worried and a little stressed whenever the shop she was on docked. It would only mean that Quino had to figure out how to get on another ship which hopefully went somewhere she hadn't combed through yet. But now it felt like the start of a new adventure, of a new quest. It was a side quest Quino took with renewed vigor.

She rushed off the ship, taking in the harbor's sights. It was like any other harbor, with buildings and dark alleyways either enticing or intimidating to passerby. Except Whale Island's little harbor didn't have alleyways and the buildings weren't as modern as Dolle Harbors. She was already missing Whale Island.

There was smog in the air, something Quino had grown up knowing all her life. It was something that she had never really paid attention to. Now, however, the sight of it made her grimace.

"Hey, you shouldn't run off like that!"

She looked behind her, noting that Leorio looked aggravated. Alongside him, Kurapika wore a stoic expression. Then there was Gon, who was starting to run after her with a bright and full smile on his lips.

"Wow, is this what a city looks like?"

"No, this is just a dock. Docks aren't too bad looking," Quino said with a smile of her own.

"The air kind of stinks," Gon commented.

She laughed. "Yeah, it's worse for you, I bet. You're so used to clean, fresh air that cities smell gross. There's a lot of pollution out here."

"You know, I think you've got a lot of potential, you lot," the captain of the ship Quino had been on said. This caught Quino's, Gon's, Kurapika's, and Leorio's attention. Once their attention was on him, the captain said, "Tell you what, you see that lone cedar tree up there?"

He pointed his finger up at a cedar tree in the distance. It looked up high on a mountain top.

"Go up there. It's a shortcut to the exam site." Just then one if the sailors called the captain, garnering the attention of all five of them. "Well, that's my queue. Good luck."

The four if them watched as the captain left, the ship sailing away a few seconds afterwards.

"The lone cedar tree? That's weird that he'd say that," Quino said.

"Weird? Why would that be weird?" Kurapika asked.

She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, that tree isn't a straight shot to Zaban City. In fact, it's kind of going left of the city."

"He was trying go lead us astray?!" Leorio yelled.

"When you put it that way, yeah. What do you think Gon?"

He glanced at Leorio and Kurapika and then made eye contact with burgundy eyes.

"I trust him," Gon stated.

Quino sighed, then shook her head and smiled. "If Gon trusts that guy's words, then I'll trust the information too. How about you two?"

Leorio shook his head. "It was fun while it lasted, but I don't trust that guy. I'll find my own way."

Kurapika, on the other hand, remained silent for a while as he stared at both Gon and Quino. Then he said, "I'll trust Gon, too."

Leorio, for some reason, was upset by this.

"Fine, I'll find my own way! See you later," Leorio said as he walked off.

Gon, Kurapika, and Quino departed without another word.

XXX

Leorio kicked an empty can on the ground, the scraping it had made against the ground only further angered him.

He felt betrayed. He had thought for sure that Kurapika would be on board with him, but it turned out that Kurapika trust Gon, too.

Shortly after splitting from the group, L eorio had looked at a map. Just as Quino had mentioned, the cedar tree in the distance wasn't going toward Zaban City. Leorio did see a few buses that werr headed toward Zaban City though.

"Look, we're in need of some jenny. So, you hand some over and we'll let you be on your way. But we can't let you go until you give us some. The sooner you hand some, the quicker you can get out of here."

The threat didn't sit right with Leorio, though he did contemplate whether to go and help out whoever was unfortunate enough to get caught up in that situation.

"I don't have any jenny on me," responded a feminine voice.

Leorio's ears perked up at the voice.

"Well, looks like we can't let you leave. It's too bad. You do seem like a nice lady."

Making up his mind, Leorio bolted down the alleyway and punched one of the thugs in the face.

The attacked thug took a few steps back, his hand touching his stinging cheek. All the thugs looked at Leorio, their eyes straying away from the blond woman in their captivity.

It was then that Leorio realized how many thugs there were. He counted five, but he was sure there were more than that. He was starting to question if this was a good idea.

"I was hoping you'd stay out of this but I guess hearing a woman in distress was too much for you."

Leorio looked at the blond woman, noticing the dark look in her eyes.

"These guys are starting to really rile me up," she stated.

Before Leorio, or any of the thugs, could ask what she was talking about, the woman grabbed the arm of the thug that held her back against one of the alleyway's walls and twisted her arm behind her back.

The thug gasped in surprised pain and she pushed him away.

All the thugs charged at her, each one of them seeking vengeance for wounding one of their own. Each thug was taken down with either a punch or kick.

Leorio, meanwhile, just stood and watched the woman take the thugs on. With her fighting off the thugs, he realized just how muscular she was. It wasn't too noticeable when she was being held back but her muscles were practically rippling with each attack and block.

When she was done with the thugs, their bodies broken and beaten, her beautiful but dangerous verdant green eyes locked onto his brown ones.

"So, hot stuff," she said derisively, "mind telling me what you think you were trying to pull back there?"

For the first time, Leorio felt _scared_ of a woman. Was it her glare, that scowl, her body that looked tense and ready to attack, or that dangerous that seeped out of her? Maybe it was everything combined that striked fear into his heart.

"What, you see something you like? I've dealt with enough pigs today, you know," she said with a sneer.

"I was just trying to save you," Leorio said, raising his hand up in defense.

She stared at him as if she didn't believe a word he said. "Sure. Let's just leave it at that." With a scoff, the woman stated to exit the alleyway.

"Uh, what's your name?"

She frowned, and said, "What's it to you?"

Leorio opened his mouth to respond but he couldn't figure out what to say.

"Primna. The name's Primna," she said, making her way passed Leorio and onto the light of day.

"Oh, uh, I'm Leorio. It's nice to meet you," he said just as she stepped into the light.

Her short blond hair, which touched her clothed shoulders, practically shone in the sun's rays. Her green eyes were a dark shade of green and he had never seen anyone with such a rich color of emerald. She wore a white fitting crop top with an earthy green undershirt and knee-length skinny jeans with tennis shoes.

"Now that we've got this weird social gathering taken care of, I'm heading out."

"Where are you going?" Leorio had asked before he could even stop himself.

"Seriously, what is with you? We've just met and you're acting like a needy puppy. Just go away, would you? Do I look like a damsel in distress?"

He flinched at Primna's irritation. Should he really push? She made a point: he'd barely met her. Why would he be so curious?

"Do you know how to get to Zaban City? I kinda need to get there," Leorio admitted, though he looked a little unsure about revealing that much

"Oh, so now I'm supposed to be your navigator? What business do you have in Zaban City anyway?" Primna asked with a raised eyebrow.

At least she doesn't seem irritated anymore, Leorio thought uneasily.

"Well, I'm going there to take an exam."

"An 'exam', huh? Look, let's be real here. You spit out the fact that you're going to the Hunter Exam site and we can go together. Sound like a deal?"

"Oh, so you're-"

Primna scoffed, interrupting Leorio. "Yeah, yeah, going to take the Hunter Exam, too. You've seen a cedar tree somewhere? A lone one?"

Leorio blinked and said, "I did. It was where my friends went..."

"You came here with some other people? Hmm, I'm not too crazy about teaming up with strangers but I guess it'll be easier this way," she said, muttering that last part under her breath.

"Guess we'll race over to them. Last one there's dead meat!" Primna said before taking off.

"W-wait up!"

He ran after her, though he soon realized that she was faster than he was.

Primna noticed the lead she was slowly creating and slowed herself down a bit.

It'd be pretty bad if I'd start running off only to get us lost, she thought with a chuckle.

XXX

"So, Gon, do you know who your mom is?"

Gon hummed and shook his head.

Kurapika was listening intently to Gon and Quino's conversation. He was intrigued by Gon. But he was also becoming interested in Quino.

From what he understood so far, she had practically maintained the house she and her mother lived in and the forge and shop that her mother owned. Her mother, for lack if a better term, was rather responsible for a mother. If he were in Quino's shoes, he would've probably hated Lady Fersel. But Quino showed that she genuinely cared for her mother despite being her adoptive mother and behaving much like a child.

Quino seemed mature for her age, and Kurapika had just gotten insight as to why. She'd simply had to operate like an adult most of her life.

"You're not curious at all?"

Gon shook his head and said, "Aunt Mito is my mom."

Quino nodded her head in return and said, "I don't know my real parents, and I don't really care to know. Lady raised me as her own, so as far as I'm concerned she's my mom."

Kurapika was fortunate to have both of his parents, his real parents, in his life. Of course, that fortune had changed as soon as the Phantom Trouoe came along and massacred his entire tribe, leaving only him alive. Just thinking about that fact made Kurapika's blood boil.

"Hey, Kurapika, are you okay?"

The sound of Gon's voice snapped him out if his toxic thoughts and he smiled at the two children looking up at him. "Yes, I'm fine."

Gon had simply smiled and went back to his conversation with Quino, but Quino was still looking at him. The way she looked at him made him wonder if she could see right through his lies. She looked away soon after, focusing back on her and Gon's conversation.

"Hey, guys, wait up!"

All three of them looked back to see Leorio and a woman race over to them. When they both got there, Leorio rested his palms on his knees, panting as if he had just ran a marathon. The woman, however, seemed perfectly fine.

"Who are you?" Kurapika asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Quino was just as suspicious and Gon didn't seem to think anything bad of the mysterious woman.

"Me? I'm the woman who changed your friend's mind," she said, though it did little to alleviate Kurapika's and Quino's suspicion. The woman scoffed at their looks. "If I really wanted to kill you, I would've already done it by now."

"I'm Gon," the 12 year old in the group said, "what's your name?"

The woman cocked an eyebrow, analyzing the boy who had just introduced himself. "Gon, was it?" He nodded in response. "Hah, kids these days. You're not afraid of me? Not one bit?"

"No," Gin replied.

She chuckled, earning confused glances between Kurapika and Quino.

"Hey, guys. This is-"

"Pipe down, would you? The only person who introduces me is me, got it?"

Leorio decided to just do as she told him, allowing the woman to introduce herself as she liked.

"Alright. Name's Primna. I'm aiming to take the Hunter Exam, too. My reasons are for me to know and you to keep your nose out of, got it?"

"Why should we let you tag along?" Quino asked, grabbing Primna's attention.

"Because this guy over her," Primna jerked her thunb towards Leorio who was starting to calm his rapidly beating heart, "thought it would be a good idea for me to join. Or something along those lines. I'm tougher than I look."

"Is this true, Leorio?" Kurapika asked, wanting to have confirmation first before he let his guard down around Primna.

"Yeah, it's true. I was thinking we could all head to that cedar tree together," Leorio explained.

Kurapika nodded, allowing himself to relax and trust in Leorio's words. Quino, however, was still skeptical.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? She doesn't seem trustworthy," Quino said with reserved caution.

"Talk it out then. I'm going in the same direction as you, though, so I might as well just go along with you guys, right?"

Quino opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed her mouth.

"Are we done debating what ifs? 'Cause I'd like to get a move on," Primna said with a sigh.

Leorio looked warily between the group's members, feeling irritation bubbling from within the woman he had just met not ten minutes ago in an alleyway. Quino was the only one who seemed against the idea of letting her join their ragtag team.

Kurapika was fine with her joining, so long as she didn't try anything behind their backs or when they weren't looking. He was just as nervous about the woman joining them as Quino but he knew that there was safety in numbers. He was certain that all of them combined could deal with her if the time came to do so.

Quino was apprehensive, to say the least, about this situation. She didn't trust the woman. Of course, she knows that she had always had a problem with being skeptical of everyone and everything but this woman was different. There was something about this woman before her that seemed off. At the end of the day, though, all that mattered was that Quino didn't trust the woman.

Gon was completely okay with Primna. He didn't really feel like she was a threat. Not right now, anyway. He wasn't oblivious to the tension and awkward silence around them. Despite what people may think, Gon picked up on more things than people gave him credit for. He just knew how to keep things to himself.

Primna was debating whether or not this decision to join Leorio's group was a good idea. She could practically taste the animosity in Quino. Well, animosity wasn't the right word. More like anxiety. Kurapika, despite his best to seem like he was okay with this arrangement, was still not happy with the current situation.

"So, are we going to just stand here? Take roll call or something?"

"I'm Kurapika," the Kurta said, finally introducing himself to their newest member.

"My name is Quino. It's a pleasure to meet you," Quino said, though the nervousness in her voice betrayed how unpleasant this actually was for her.

"Right. Nice to meet you guys, too," Primna said, trying her best to smile. Smiling, unfortunately, wasn't an action that she partook in often.

"Well, we should get going, right?" Leorio asked, trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere surrounding them.

"Yes, we should," Kurapika said, turning around to walk down the dirt path they were on.

Gon gave a smile toward Primna before walking down the path also. Quino shot a quick cold glare at Primna, as if to say 'I'm watching you', before she took off after Gon.

"So, are your friends usually like this?"

Leorio gave out a nervous chuckle and said, "Well, I guess to strangers."

Figures, Primna thought with a frown. I didn't think this through, did I? At least Leorio and Gon seem to trust me. I don't know why though. Ah, they don't know me. They don't know I come from a continent of filled with death, work for an information broker who's notorious for only talking when jennies shoves in her face, and the fact that I've murdered more people than years lived.

She grimaced, something that Leorio had, thankfully, had not noticed. She was _really_ starting to doubt if this was a good idea. She was certain that if they ever found out about her chaotic life, that she'd be kicked out of the little group.

With uncertainty clawing at her heart, Primna followed after Leorio who had started to walk down the path after Gon, Kurapika, and Quino.

* * *

Hello everybody!

Another chapter completed! I really only had today to work on this so I hope there aren't too many errors. I'll reread the chapter tomorrow and reupload in case I totally screwed up.

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

Well, I hope you liked this chapter and are eager for more. Favorite, follow, and review to your heart's content. Bye bye~


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